First a Crack Now a Crevice
by Anne Callendar
Summary: He seemed to be alright - a normal teenager going about his monotonous life. Nobody saw it coming though, as it was a tiny crack, which rarely showed. Because of this, the teens' lives are suddenly thrown out of balance and in order to save face, they must cover up the abnormality in their friend's life. Very OOC.
1. The Setting

**First a Crack, Now a Crevice**

**The Setting**

*Some surnames may be changed. I know nothing about any of the Japanese places mentioned, and I do NOT own Naruto or anything associated with it.

A huge boarding house in the suburbs of Ebisu in Meguro-ku… Across the road from Hatake Boarding was Yurihama Orphanage. Hatake-san normally went out to meetings for the BHMA (Boarding House Masters' Association), leaving the eldest and most responsible teen in charge.

Inside…

There's a long hallway, decorated with healthy potted plants. Pictures and laminated sayings were hung on the pastel coloured walls. There were ceramic vases with dyed pebbles in them. A large aquarium containing catfish, goldfish, etc, was installed in one of the walls.

The hallway ended into a sort of crossroads with wide passageways. To the left was the den. Comfy sofas lined the walls on both sides of the spacious room. Mounted on one of the latte coloured walls was a 56" plasma flat screen television, complete with component and surround sound sets. In the centre of the room was a coffee table with a wooden frame.

In another passageway was the huge kitchen. There was two of every appliance inside, in some cases, even three: two refrigerators, two stoves, two ovens, three blenders, three food processors, two microwaves, etc. There was a large island smack in the middle of everything, on which lay an assortment of knives one of the three food processors, a built in cutting board, etc. The walk in pantry beside one of the two refrigerators was fully always fully stocked. The sweet smell of the flowers that were placed in the windowsill above the industrial sink filled the kitchen with a sweet scent.

In the last passageway on the **ground floor **was the oh-so-grand dining room. In the centre was a huge mahogany wood table which was more than capable of comfortably seating more than twenty hungry persons. Heavy matching mahogany chairs were neatly arranged at the table. Above the dustless table was a beautiful, golden chandelier which reflected the light rays. A deep, royal blue carpet covered the hardwood floors. Portraits of jolly adults and children stared unseeingly into the semi-filled space of the room. A breakfront filled with shiny spotless china stood at one end of the room while tables with decorative figurines were neatly arranged around a built in fireplace.

On the **second floor** were the rooms. All of the girls' rooms were on the left wing of the house; the boys' were to the right. The rooms were relatively spacious and very comfortable. Each one had a chest, drawer or closet which was used to store personal possessions. A few bathrooms were on that floor too.

On the** third floor **was a variety of recreational rooms. There was an enormous library which had a marvellous view of the backyard gardens. Shelves and shelves of books stretched across the width of the library. There were books on History, Science, Medicine, Adventure, Magic, Romance, Plays, Drama Pieces and Poetry. Study desks were put up with some wooden and plush chairs. Each desk had two lamps and a pencil holder on it.

Next was the Training room. It had punching bags, gym mats, and all other sorts of things that you'd find in a regular gym. The only thing different is there was a storage room at the back containing kunai, senbon, katanas, nun chucks, and poison darts. These were kept in stock for training and just in case they had to defend themselves. The boys, especially Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru and Neji, went there to train often.

There was also a music room which Alice visited frequently. Inside were a piano, a few guitars, violins, a keyboard, a xylophone, some recorders and a tuba. A game/movie room was right across from it. The last thing on that floor was the foyer. Sliding glass windows separated it from the long hallway (curtains were drawn down at night). On the foyer was a wooden table which was painted white. A few chairs were placed around it. A high railing was put up at the edge and beyond that was a view of the well kept gardens in the backyard and another boarding facility beyond the yard's border.

That was a little touch of the surroundings for you guys. Again, I'm new to writing for large audiences, so I will need your guidance.

~Anne Callendar


	2. Troubles

**Troubles**

_Italics_ – thoughts, memories/dreams

* * *

><p>Sasuke abruptly sat up in bed, breaking into a cold sweat. It was 3:00 am. He was tormented and extremely tired, as he had barely slept all night. It was those blasted nightmares he was having lately. He really needed the rest, but he was too afraid that he'd have to go through that experience again. Sasuke took a towel off his nightstand and wiped his face with it. He pulled his knees up to his chest and tried his best to fight and defeat sleep. He knew he was drifting away. He tried to get off his bed and into the bathroom to wash his face, but neither his legs nor his arms would respond. In a few minutes, he was far away in his own dreamland.<p>

__

_His footsteps echoed on the marble tiled floors of some unknown mansion. He wandered aimlessly around the place, trying to find some signs of life. He walked up an immaculately clean staircase and entered a room which was positioned directly at the end of it. In contrast to where he was coming from, the room was pitch black. He groped in front of him for something to hold on to. He turned around and felt along the ice cold walls for a light switch. Nothing. Nothing at all. Sasuke turned around to grasp hold of the doorknob and exit the room, however, he couldn't locate it anywhere. He began to panic. "It must be here somewhere", he thought. Suddenly, a hallway appeared in front of him. Sasuke hesitated before realizing that his only way out was to go forward. Hesitantly, he walked down the passage, obsidian eyes wide with confusion and fear. A sharp, shrill scream pierced the air. A series of wails moans and screams followed it. A cold chill ran down Sasuke's spine. He really wanted to stop moving, however, a magnet like force kept pulling him in the direction of the screams. By the time he was at the end of the hallway, he was trembling with cold and terror, for at his feet were mercilessly slaughtered persons with unidentifiable faces. The force continued to pull him into the middle of a small room. Its walls were coated with fresh blood and the whole place was filled with its stench. A masked figure stood before him, katana in hand. Three people also appeared out of nowhere. Sasuke recognised them – his brother and parents. "Sasuke-kun, please, help us!" they wailed. He stretched out his hand to them and tried to move forward, but his feet were firmly attached to the floor. He tried to call out to them, but no sound could escape his lips. His breath hitched in his throat as the masked figure raised his weapon. "Sasuke-kun, please help us!" "Sasuke, help us!" "Sa- …" The cries stopped as the figure brought down the katana with brute force, ruthlessly murdering the tormented teen's family. _

_Sasuke fell to his knees, convulsing, tears freely pouring down his chilly cheeks. He wanted to cry out, but he couldn't. He wanted to flee, but he couldn't. The masked figure let out a disturbing chuckle as he wiped Sasuke's relatives' blood on his clothes, and looked up at the ceiling. Reluctantly, Sasuke followed suit. Different faces appeared in the ceiling. Those of Sakura, Naruto, Hatake-san, and all the other persons he loved and cherished. They were all giving him horrified, disappointed, hateful looks. Slowly the faces grew into bodies and materialized, standing upright on the floor. Sakura, the one he loved the most had tears cascading down her cheeks. She was holding an unfamiliar boy in her arms. He had a traumatized, confused look on his face. Naruto had both hands on Sakura's shoulders. He was saying something to him, however, Sasuke couldn't hear. His vision was blurry from his tears and sweat and a continuous throbbing pain was increasing in intensity at the back of his eyeballs. The masked figure suddenly stepped behind Sasuke and plunged the katana into his back, the other end protruding from his stomach. Excruciating pain shot through his body. He let out an agonizing scream, the first sound that he had made since he entered the slaughtering house. The figure slowly dragged the katana out of Sasuke's body only to plunge it in again, creating another wound. The bodies in front of him began to drip away in blood, adding to the stomach-flipping stench. The only one that remained was the unfamiliar boy. He watched with large, emotionless, black eyes as Sasuke was repeatedly stabbed with the katana…_

* * *

><p>Sasuke sat up in bed once more, eyes red and puffy, clothes drenched with sweat. His body ached all over. He sighed as he dragged himself out of bed and into his bathroom, knowing that he couldn't take another one of those nightmares. Just thinking about it made him begin to hyperventilate. He tried to compose himself as he slipped out of his clothing and into the shower. When he got out, it was 3:45 am. He exited his room and softly padded down the stairway. He wasn't startled when he saw Hinata curled up on the very last step.<p>

"Morning Hinata-chan."

Hinata looked at him and mustered a weak smile. Sasuke continued on his journey.

Stating the obvious, he asked, "Can't sleep either, huh?"

Holding back her tears, Hinata shook her head. She had also lost her parents and a sibling, but in a train crash.

Sighing, Sasuke made his way to the kitchen and opened the freezer. _Oh, why must the innocent suffer? _He took out a tub of ice-cream and set it on the counter. While getting whatever else it is that people put on a sundae, he tried to keep the contents of his half-digested dinner down. Firstly, because of the dream he'd just had, and secondly because of the repulsive smell of the ice-cream (**he** found it repulsive). _How do people eat this stuff? I can't even stand the sight of it, much less the smell._ He carefully constructed a sundae with everything that Hinata loved then put everything else where it was supposed to go. (Just because he's **'socially challenged' **doesn't mean he can't be a nice guy). Before exiting the kitchen, Sasuke opened the second fridge and peered into a box specially labelled **'FOR SASUKE. DO NOT ENTER'**. Satisfied that no one had overlooked his warning; he stuck his hand inside and came out with two chocolate bars. They were dark chocolate and contained quite a bit of coffee, hence they weren't sweet at all. _I just can't understand why someone would call __**this**__ chocolate an abomination or a mutation. It's simply divine._

"I figured you'd want this", Sasuke said, holding out the sundae to Hinata when he arrived at the staircase moments later.

Hinata accepted the sundae and nodded thanks to him. Sasuke leaned against the railing and asked, "Would you like me to get Naruto to keep you company?"

"N-no, Sasuke-kun. That won't be n-necessary. Thank you though."

"Ah", came the one worded reply. Sasuke left the blue haired beauty to ponder over her dreams. He climbed the stairs and re-entered his room. When he emerged, he held a black leather covered book in hand, a pen and the two chocolate bars resting atop it. Sasuke climbed another set of stairs up to the third storey and made his way to the foyer. Sitting down on one of the white chairs, he looked down at the garden. He hadn't come on to this foyer in a very long while. He hadn't been able to get a peaceful night's rest in a long while. School was starting the next day and he was in absolutely no suitable condition to go. He was stressed, had dark circles under his already dark eyes, his skin was even paler than before, and he was feeling aches and pains all over. Of course he had voiced his concerns to no one, but his boarding mates weren't stupid. Sasuke moaned in discomfort as he flexed his wrist* as he prepared to write. His latest ANBU mission had taken a large toll on him.

His doctor had required him to get a diary to write in. Recording everything that he felt emotionally, mentally and physically would help them to keep track of his progress. Sasuke flipped through his diary's pages. He stopped and trailed his fingers over the page…

* * *

><p><em>(Diary entry dated Dec. 03)<em>

_At the beginning of the winter holiday some ANBU members came to the house. They greeted Shari-san and asked for Naruto and me. Instead Shari-san called Kakashi. When Kakashi came, their pleasant aura suddenly turned dark. I was watching from my bedroom window. There was an argument. I couldn't hear what they were saying though. Kakashi stepped inside and called for us. I hunted Naruto down and dragged him down the stairs and to the front door with me. There stood Kakashi, looking quite unpleased. Standing in the doorway behind him were two men. The first one with red, spiky hair and red burgundy eyes had a long jagged scar that stretched from his jaw, all the way down to his collarbone. He had a smirk on his face. He held a thick wooden covered book which had 'RECRUITS' printed on the front in large, bold letters. The other young man had jet black hair which laid flat on his head. He looked extremely bored. His grey eyes inspected us and hovered over Naruto for a while. Both of them wore their masks on their hips. "Hello, Sasuke and Naruto", the second one said, getting the formalities over with. I got straight to the point by asking, "What do you want with us? We've already finished the mission agreement" "We know that brat, but Senator Honshu asked us to make you two our newest recruits." I looked up at Kakashi who then said, "I told you guys already that the deal's off. These two can't have anything to do with ANBU anymore. They're school kids for Pete's sake. They shouldn't be involved in killing at such a young age, whether for the authorities or not. Besides, they can't juggle their studies and their missions at the same time." The second man let out an exasperated sigh. "Look", he said, "Don't bother to make any excuses. If they've done it for 9 months, they can continue. Stop trying to shelter them Kakashi. You're letting good tools go to waste. Also, don't forget the consequences." "Consequences", Naruto asked. "If Kakashi here doesn't let at least one of you join ANBU, Senator Honshu WILL shut down the boarding house and charge him for resistance to the higher ups' rulings", the first man replied. "So, what will it be, you two", he asked. I analyzed the situation and what the man had said and come up with a conclusion. "I'll do it. For both Naruto and I. You have to stop tormenting Hatake-san and Naruto though. If you or your Senator come asking about recruiting Naruto or anyone else from this boarding house again, though, the deal's off." Naruto immediately grabbed my shirt sleeve, his blue eyes searching mine. He was about to speak when I silenced him with a glare._

"_Wise decision, Sasuke-kun", the first man said as he got out a contract and a pen. As I read it through thoroughly, I noticed Kakashi inhale deeply breath and squeeze his eyes shut. It was just then that I realized that he looked old and worn out, even though he was only 27. Dark rings under his eyes were pronounced and the corners of his lips were turned down as if in a permanent frown. When I signed the paper and handed it to the men, I felt terrible. Kakashi had tried so hard to keep me away from them, but I had just flushed all his brave, yet futile efforts down the toilet. When all three of us were safely inside with the door locked behind us, I turned around and looked at them. "Baka*, why did you do that", Naruto fumed, stomping towards me, his arms flailing like mad. "You're the idiot. They don't know your secret, right", I replied. "Aah, Sasuke, you always do something completely crazy to try to protect me. Thanks, bro." "Hn", I replied walking up to my room. You see, everyone knows that I posses the Sharingan, however, very few people know that Naruto possesses the Nine Tails, an extremely powerful energy source. If the ANBU were to learn about this, Naruto would turn out to be like me in record time, and I just couldn't bear to see him like that. Lovely guy, aren't I._

_~S. Uchiha_

* * *

><p>Sasuke sighed and unwrapped a chocolate bar. He tried flexing his wrist once again. Pain shot through it. He clenched his teeth, gripped the pen and began to document his feelings and his nightmare.<p>

By the time Sasuke had finished writing his latest entry the two chocolate bars were done. 4:20 am. He was tired but he was still terrified of sleeping. _Maybe if I sleep in the couch downstairs while everyone else is up I'll be okay._ Sasuke rose from his seat and stretched a bit. He picked up his belongings and trotted down to the ground floor. Hinata was now curled up on the couch watching a game show. Sasuke disposed of the chocolate wrappers and joined her. They chatted for a bit until she fell into a deep, peaceful rest. He envied her. Jealousy was practically rolling off him in a series of waves. He sat there with her until 7:00 am when she woke and went to take a shower.

The first signs of life in the house at 7 in the morning were Sakura, Temari and the other girls rushing into their bathrooms and showering. Shari had already descended the stairs, oblivious of the two teens in the den, to begin preparing breakfast for the house. Some time later, Sakura and Naruto came down the stairs, the former looking as if she'd had a wonderful rest and the latter mumbling and muttering and holding his head, walking in a trance-like state. Sakura went directly to the den, knowing Sasuke would be there. He sensed her presence and closed his eyes in an attempt to fool her. "Morning Sasuke", she said, sitting beside him and planting a kiss on his cheek. Sasuke's eyes fluttered open and he faked a yawn. "Sakura", he said in a groggy voice. Anyone who wasn't very familiar with Sasuke's habits would have actually fallen for it, but apparently, Sakura was different.

Sakura's eyes suddenly dropped to the floor. "Why do you keep trying to fool me Sasuke?"

"Eh", Sasuke's obsidian eyes widened.

"Do you know how much I worry about you?"

"…"

"Do you know how sickening it is to know that you don't even want to tell me the obvious things that are going on in your life?"

"…"

Tears were rolling down her cheeks now. "Sasuke…"

Sasuke wrapped his arms around her and ran his hands through her silky hair. "Sakura, I'm sorry. I've just been so tired during these past few days, that I doubt that I'm even thinking straight anymore."

"Sasuke… It-it's just that you've been so distant. Sometimes, you'd zone out when we're talking. Yesterday you fell asleep around the breakfast table. You have bags under your eyes and you look like you couldn't get any paler. Did you really expect that no one would notice or care?"

"I'd never really thought about that."

"You know school starts tomorrow, right?"

"I opt not to talk about that, not trying to mask the weariness in his voice."

"Sasuke"

"Hn?"

"I know about the dreams you're having."

"Sasuke immediately tensed, then he released his grip on Sakura's waist and slid to the floor. "I'd figured", he sighed. He covered his face with his right hand, while the other hand propped him up against the couch. _Why am I getting so emotional nowadays?_ Sakura sat beside him on the floor and wrapped him in a tight embrace. He rested his head on her lap; the tightening he had begun to feel in his chest diminished. She stroked his hair and took stray strands out of his face. He murmured something inaudible into her clothes before falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

><p>* Flexed his wrist – Sasuke picked up that habit from his older brother. Even though Itachi was killed with his parents, Sasuke still held on to that little habit.<p>

* Baka – Stupid or Idiot

**A/N** How was it? Rate and review please. I was a little worried that the nightmare might have been a bit violent.

~Anne Callendar


	3. Slipping

**SLIPPING**

Italics – thoughts/memories

*****I know nothing about any of the Japanese places mentioned, and I do NOT own Naruto, Bakugan or anything associated with them.

* * *

><p>When 8:00 came and neither Sakura nor Sasuke could be found at the breakfast table, Naruto came searching for them. "Oi, lovebirds," he announced as he entered the den. Naruto stopped in his tracks and quickly clamped his mouth shut when Sakura shot him a death glare. Seeing his frightened expression, she let her eyes drop to her lap. His eyes followed suit.<p>

"Shoot. Sorry, Sakura," Naruto exclaimed.

"I-its okay, Naruto," she said, her eyes still looking at the weakened, young teen who lay on her lap.

"Hey, I know you must be hungry, so, let me put him on the couch for ya. You can go get a blanket to cover him with."

Sakura nodded slightly and gave him a small grateful smile. _I feel so guilty right now. All Sasuke's done is care about me and try to make me feel comfortable, but I can't even stay for a while when he needs me the most._

"Come on Sakura. If we don't hurry, all the others will finish Shari san's blueberry pancakes and you know how much I love those"

Sakura's smile widened a bit and Naruto gave a triumphant grin as he stooped down to Sakura's level. As Naruto scooped up Sasuke's body, his head began to spin with worry and confusion. _Jeez. He's so light… and pale. What is ANBU doing to him? What is he doing to himself? _

As Naruto was about to rest his sleeping friend on the sofa, he shifted in his arms and let out a small moan. Sakura stopped in her tracks and rested her hand on the door jam. "Don't worry about him Sakura. I think he's alright," Naruto assured her, even though he wasn't sure himself. As soon as Sakura left the room and Sasuke was lying comfortably on the sofa, Naruto examined his friend. Sasuke shifted once more and let out another moan. His facial expressions frequently changed from ones of peace and serenity to ones of pain and discomfort. The tips of his fingers were a light shade of blue. There was a tinge of blue at the base of his neck as well. Those were the only signs of colour on him, even though they were sickly. Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his unruly blonde hair. Reluctantly, he headed out of the den and into the dining room where everyone else was seated and waiting. Naruto silently took his place beside Shikamaru. The questioning stares he got from his boarding mates intensified when Sakura followed a few minutes later, sitting between Ino and Temari.

"Well, how is he?" Shari asked, trying to break the silence with the obvious question that was on everyone's minds.

Naruto gave Sakura a nervous glance before saying, "Not… Not really good."

Sakura played around with some scrambled eggs that were on her plate. "Shari-san, do you think we should tell Kakashi-san?"

"Not yet," Shari said. "I just have a feeling that its nothing but stress. Besides, Kakashi's really busy so I don't think that would help either of their situations. We can just continue to watch him. If his situation gets any worse, then I'll tell."

"Are you sure that's wise Shari-sama?" Neji asked, giving Shari a weird look.

"It's the best we can do for now, Neji."

* * *

><p>Sasuke's eyes fluttered open. He searched frantically for a clock… 1:00 pm. He swung his legs off the sofa and leaned his head on the back of it. Ruffling his jet black hair, he went over a mental schedule. <em>1:00. 1:00. I'm supposed to be going somewhere now. I just can't put my finger on it. Ah, shoot. Why can't I remember anything.<em> His eyes drifted from the wall clock, to the television, to the doorway, and back to the clock. Suddenly, a girl's high pitched voice dragged Sasuke's attention back to the doorway.

"Sakura, **HURRY UP**! What in bloody hell are you doing?!"

"I'm coming Ino. Sheesh. I just need my bandeau then I'll be down."

"We should have been at the train station 30 minutes ago. You know Kakashi's gonna be peeved. He likes to make a good first impression," the blonde girl yelled. Probably feeling the holes that Sasuke's eyes were boring in her back, Ino turned around sharply and equally matched his glare. "Sleeping Beauty's awake I see," she said, playfully turning up her nose at him. "The pig's on the rampage again," Sasuke retorted, closing his eyes.

The sound of heavy footsteps pounding on stairs signified Sakura's presence. Her pink shoulder length hair was being held back by a simple black bandeau. She and Ino both wore dark purple blouses with close fitting black pants and black low heeled sandals. The only difference in their dressing was that Ino's hair was in a tight bun and she wore gold earrings with a matching watch, while Sakura wore a jade necklace.

"Hey Sasuke. Rested well?" she asked.

"Sort of," he replied, taking in her slight form.

"Ino and I are going to Kushoki Train Station to meet with Kakashi. We're supposed to be in showing some folks around, so don't be expecting us for a while," Sakura blurted out. With that said, she wished her lover goodbye, grabbed Ino's hand and bolted through the front door.

Sasuke sighed as he watched his occasionally hyperactive other half rush out with her equally strange friend in tow. _That's unusual. She's holding up Ino for a black bandeau? Wait… Black. Black? Black… Shoot. I overslept. _Sasuke sprang out of the sofa and shot upstairs to his room. He shed his clothes and showered in record time. When he got out, he slipped into his full black uniform – pants, shirt, combat boots and coat. A feeling of dread washed over Sasuke completely as he walked to the training/weaponry room. When he slid open the door, he was grieved that there were so many weapons inside, and when he took out his katana, he was ashamed that he was preparing to kill someone, whether innocent or guilty. He was ashamed that he would be the one to break up a family or a friendship. When he was younger, he wouldn't even have dreamt of cutting someone's finger with a butter knife, but with time, things changed, as now, he was doing much worse. Whatever his aim was, he always achieved it, and most times, that aim was to kill.

Hinata and Neji stopped their training and watched with pursed lips as all the colour – what little was left - drained from Sasuke's face. The boy was so subdued by his emotions that he didn't notice large, grey pitiful eyes staring at him. He didn't notice when Hinata stepped in front of the doorway. And he didn't come out of his trance until she put one of her small hands on his forehead when he was directly in front of her. Sasuke's head snapped up; Hinata didn't flinch. She stared unblinking at him. Sasuke gave her a small smile and gently brushed her hand off his forehead. Hinata looked down at the floor and stepped aside, clearing the doorway for him. Sasuke's smile quickly disappeared as soon as he got outside. He walked down the stairs as fast as he could. "Sasuke, are you sure you don't want something to eat before you leave?" Shari asked, hearing the heavy thump of his boots as he made his way to the front door. "No Shari, I'm kind of in a rush now," He replied, opening the door and stepping out into the fresh air.

Sasuke inhaled a deep breath, then hurried down the street. By the time he got to the major intersection, he saw the black ANBU van for the Meguro-ku division on the other side of the road. Persons in masks were hurriedly stepping inside, and some were loading cartons and weapons into the back. One of them signalled to him. Sasuke ran across the road when it was clear and he took his place in the van. The masked ANBU members greeted him with cheerful voices. He only looked at them with a disdainful expression. (He wore no mask). Sasuke knew that those hypocrites were sneering at him beneath their masks and they were mumbling things about him under their breaths; however, he didn't care one bit. He stared through the window and allowed himself to slip into a half conscious state.

The ANBU guys in the van engaged in loud conversation. Well, that is, all but two – Sasuke and Sai. Sai was a young man whom many fellow workers nicknamed 'The Sasuke Lookalike'. Sai had a sketchpad in his hands and he was always drawing on it. (He didn't wear a mask either). He used a skill and a special type of ink to make his drawings 'come to life'. The two boys were often put on the same team, what with their similarities and all. They arrived at the ANBU headquarters in record time – it seemed like everyone was late that day. Filing out of the van and into the large parking lot, the young men stretched, yawned, etc, as they waited for their commander to come with their mission. Five minutes later, a middle aged man dressed in the regular uniform, but with an array of badges and crests on his shoulder, stepped out of the huge grey 5 storey concrete building.

"Good afternoon underlings," he said, the wind ruffling his grey-streaked hair.

"Afternoon Commander Liu," all except for Sasuke and Sai replied.

"We're strapped for time today, and we have lots of things to do. I'll be splitting you into groups of five. Honshu, Sasori, Makita, Danto, and Cross will be carrying out a raid on Dhali's headquarters. You five need to find any information that may give us a lead on the series of murders and other crimes he's been committing. We've recently been informed that Dhali is roaming the Akaka Forest area, so apart from the guards, you should be safe. Second group: Sasuke, Sai, Sankuru, Daichi, and Misaki. You boys will be searching Akaka Forest for Dahli and his associates. You will find him and apprehend him. He is to be captured ALIVE," Liu said, directing the latter statement to Sasuke and Sai. "I need five volunteers to split themselves up and follow these two teams as backup, and I need another five to help Tech Support and the other groups inside. Whoever's left will stand by and wait for further orders."

With that, the young men took their weaponry out of the van and split up into their groups. Sasuke went ahead of his group members and took his seat in the front of one of the 'Amphibians' as they were called. Sai followed. The other guys hurried to catch up with those two. Misaki got into the driver's seat, switched on the vehicle, and made sure the radio (for communication with headquarters) was up and running. As they were clear of the headquarters, Sasuke developed a tight feeling in his chest. He could feel it. He was slowly losing control. _Shoot. Get a grip Uchiha. This happens all the time, so you must have come up with a way to control it by now. Blast. I'm losing it. _Over the 2 hour ride to Akaka Forest, Sasuke had lost himself. You see, the boy everyone knew couldn't find it in himself to kill anyone, however, the 'other person' that was locked up inside, only came out when he was on missions. This 'other person' could slaughter dozens of persons in a few minutes without feeling any guilt or remorse. Killing persons gave this side of Sasuke some sort of sadistic pleasure. Shedding others' blood attended to his somewhat insatiable desire to see others in pain. Several times, Sasuke had to be stopped by his teammates, and, several times, they arrived, or spoke too late…

* * *

><p>The Amphibian pulled off the dirt-and-snow trail which would lead ANBU Team 2 further up into the forest. Misaki parked under the cover of some thick undergrowth which helped to camouflage the green vehicle. They quickly, silently got their weapons out of the Amphibian and prepared for the long search that awaited them. Daichi looked up at the steep hillside that loomed infront of them, like a huge white monster, and sighed. <em>This is so troublesome<em>, he thought. Sai took out his sketchpad and his pen and quickly began to draw something on it. He blew onto the paper and the image on it slowly began to move. It peeled itself from the paper and materialized on the snowy ground at his feet. Slowly, the black outlined thing took on the colour of the snow. At the end of its transformation, it fluffed its wings and flew up and on to Sai's shoulders. It was a snow dove. Sai whispered something to it and immediately, the bird took flight. "Why not an arctic fox," Misaki asked mockingly. Taking this seriously, Sai replied, "Because Dhali more than likely has masked his trail. The fox wouldn't be able to pick up his scent. Baka, I thought you would have known that already." Misaki simply sighed and rolled his eyes at the clueless teen.

"Well, since you sent out your dove, I only think its common sense to stay put until it returns. Meanwhile though, we should come up with a plan," Sankuru said.

"That would be wise," Daichi agreed, reaching into his bag for a map of the area.

"When Sai's dove pinpoints the location of those fugitives, we should arrange ourselves according to skill level. More than likely, he'll have strong henchmen with him. Sai, I suggest you don't summon any more creatures until absolutely necessary; that uses up a lot of energy. Instead, use your poison coated senbon and kunai to attack from long range. Have a pistol on you just in case. I'm putting Daichi under your care."

"Hai," Sai responded.

"Daichi, since you are our map reader, you should be under Sai's protection. Mark our way when we're leaving, and on the battlefield, plan a quick and easy escape route. Be prepared to create a tunnel or channel if need be."

"Roger," Daichi said.

"Misaki, you and I will be on the offense, tackling Dhali's henchmen. Sasuke, since you're the most… **_reliable, _**you'll take Dhali."

Sasuke and Misaki nodded. The group got up and prepared to get going once Sai's dove came back.

In ample time, the small bird returned to its creator. It landed on Sai's shoulder and chirped a bit. Sai nodded and the bird took flight once more. Sai began following it and quickly, the others did the same. They trudged through the thick snow up the mountain with weapons over their shoulders. 

* * *

><p>~ Anne Callendar<p>

* I don't really know if something's actually called a snow dove. I just came up with the name on the spot.

I'm not good at describing clothes **AT ALL, **so try to understand if the outfits are a bit shabby.

Hope you liked it. Sorry for taking so long. Rate & Review please.


	4. Newcomers and Growing Fears

**NEWCOMERS AND GROWING FEARS**

_Italics – _thoughts/memories/dreams

* I know nothing about any of the Japanese places mentioned and I do not own Naruto, Bakugan, or anything associated with them.

* * *

><p>Sasuke stumbled through the doorway. He was wheezing. In a daze, he made his way through the hallway and up the stairs, completely unaware of the strange looks he was getting. He quickly entered his room, shut the door and went into his bathroom. As soon as he got inside, Sasuke began to shed his clothing. His head was spinning. Questions, thoughts and emotions were coming too fast. He couldn't understand why his clothes were heavily bloodstained. He couldn't understand why there was a large gash on his right thigh. He couldn't understand why he had a bloody katana on his back.<p>

Sasuke's stomach turned at the sight of the blood on his skin and clothes. The metallic scent did nothing to improve his condition. Soon enough, he felt the bile in his throat. He tried to keep the disgusting fluid down, but it came up anyway. Sasuke started for the toilet, and luckily for him, he reached it just as the vomit was at his lips. As Sasuke emptied his stomach's contents, someone decided to take action downstairs…

Sakura rose from the dining table quickly. "I'm terribly sorry guys. It's an emergency. If you need anything, feel free to ask anyone else." The visitors to whom she was speaking all had startled expressions on their faces. "Are you sure you don't want any help?" a wide eyed blue haired girl asked in awe. "No. I'm sure. Everything will be perfectly fine," Sakura replied.

Without wasting another moment, Sakura dashed out of the room, up the stairs, and into Sasuke's room. "Sasuke?" she called. There was no reply. Sakura listened closely, and then called his name again. This time, she could hear a shower faintly running. She went toward the bathroom, then opened the door. Surprisingly, the floor was completely dry. The toilet had been flushed, but there was still the faint scent of stomach fluid in the air, mixed with the strong scent of blood. "Sasuke," she called for the last time as she stepped over the bloodstained clothes. The katana had been leaned against the toilet. The sound of water beating against tile could be heard. Slowly, Sakura pulled the shower curtain aside. Sasuke stood stiff under the spray of water. His eyes were glued to his blood being washed down the drain. He didn't even look up when Sakura drew the curtain away. Tears welling up in her eyes, Sakura went for a towel. She returned to the shower, turned it off, then wrapped it around the young man.

Finally, Sasuke looked up at Sakura, his black eyes confused and tormented. She led him out of the bathroom and into his bedroom. She dried his pale skin, got out some fresh clothes and dressed him. When he was seated, Sakura got some bandages and alcohol and dressed his wounds. She then wrapped her legs around him and began massaging his shoulders. At last, the tears came pouring down her cheeks. She rested her head on his back as she continued to weep. Yes, this was a somewhat regular thing, but that did not lessen Sasuke's pain, or Sakura's. She was sick and tired of seeing him in this condition. Tired of seeing him injured. Tired of seeing him confused and torn, but most of all, tired of seeing him when he remembered what he'd done.

Sasuke suddenly gripped his head and winced in pain. His skin got paler and he began to tremble. "Sakura, I remember now," he said.

* * *

><p><em>Sai's snow dove returned. It landed on Sai's shoulder and chirped a bit. He nodded and the bird took flight once more. Sai began following it and quickly, the others did the same. They trudged through the thick snow up the mountain with weapons over their shoulders. It wasn't long before the ANBU members heard the footsteps of others. Sankuru signalled to his teammates who immediately took shelter behind trees. Sankuru peeked out from the snow covered branches of a large tree. A few hundred feet before his team was a relatively large group of fugitive soldiers. Some carried bags of loot. Some led healthy creatures loaded with goods. Some carried loaded guns, swords, etc. Sankuru turned to his teammates and made some more signals. Slowly and silently, they took their positions, preparing for an ambush. Sai was the first to strike. He took aim at a young man with a hunting rifle in one hand and a rope leading a specially bred horse in the other. The poison worked instantly. In a few seconds, the young man fell to the ground, dead.<em>

Suddenly, the weight of everything came crashing down on Sasuke's shoulders. He started to tremble more and his breaths became uneven. Sakura saw the need to intervene, so she hugged him from behind. After a few minutes, she pulled him down and rested his head on her lap. Sakura began to run her hands through his hair in a futile attempt to soothe him.

_Dhali's men were dropping like flies. Dhali himself soon emerged from the 'carriage' he was being transported in. Sankuru and Misaki successfully led his henchmen away. Daichi continued marking his surroundings and storing his energy in case a hasty escape was necessary. As soon as Sasuke caught sight of Dhali, something inside him awakened. A rush of adrenaline coursed through his body followed by a feeling of excitement. His eyes grew cold and his pupils dilated. He lost control of himself. He lost all consciousness of whatever he was doing. His 'other self' was now in control. Dhali's and Sasuke's katanas clashed. The echo of quality metal striking against metal resounded on the mountain. Not after long, Dhali lay helpless at Sasuke's feet, begging for mercy. He mumbled false promises and apologies while shifting his glance from his left leg to Sasuke's katana that was way too close for comfort. _

"_Sasuke-kun, that's enough! We want him alive!" Sankuru warned. _

"_Yes, I understand, but it's quite a distance from here to the Amphibian, and we don't want him trying to run off, right? At the same time, we could still arrive before he loses too much blood." With that, Sasuke looked Dhali right in the eye and gave him a sickening smile. His gaze then moved to his left leg. With one swift movement, Sasuke severed it, cleaned his katana on the snow, then returned it to its place. Everyone's eyes widened except for Sai's as Dhali's cries of agony pierced the chilly air._

Slowly, Sasuke opened his eyes. His face was drained of all emotion. Cold sweat slid down the back of his neck, causing his hair to stick to it. He looked into Sakura's eyes. They were swirling with emotion – pain, heartache, pity, and something unidentifiable. (Quite a few persons looked at him like that nowadays.)

"Sakura," he began rather weakly. "Sakura, are you afraid of me?"

He stared at her – she hesitated. "No Sasuke. I don't believe I am."

"Please don't lie to me."

"Alright. Sasuke, I-I just don't know anymore. I used to tell myself that I wouldn't fear you, but it just keeps on getting harder not to be scared." A few tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I see." Sasuke said. Sitting up, he wiped her tears away and kissed her tenderly. He rose from his bed, thanked her, then went into his bathroom to tidy up. After a few moments he rejoined Sakura. "They're some visitors downstairs, right?" he asked.

"Yes, there are," she replied.

"I suggest you don't go back down then. You've had a full day, and we have school tomorrow. I'll apologize on your behalf. Come on." He took her hand and gently tugged her off his bed.

"Sasuke, are you okay?" she asked, her face flushing red with guilt. '_I'm so pathetic. I can't even hide the fact that I'm tired or give him my full support.'_

"I'm alright now. No need to worry," he lied. Quickly, he led her out of his room and into hers. He dressed her for bed, then sat her down on it. Before he left, she held on to his hand. Staring at the sheet, she began… "Sasuke, I know it's selfish for me to be telling you this now, when you're still scarred from your mission, but, I still think that I should tell you."

Concerned, he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Sometimes, well, most of the time, I feel like I don't really support you. I feel like more of a burden to you. Honestly, sometimes, I just feel so terrible, and worthless, because you always try your best to help me and cheer me up, even when you're in physical or emotional pain. And I feel like my thanks isn't enough. I feel even worse now because I'm kind of scared that you'd do something to hurt us. I-I just want to help so much more, but, it's like I can't try any harder." Sakura looked timidly at his hand which lay protectively over hers.

"Sakura, there's no reason for you to feel this way. Both you and I know that you're at your limit when it comes on to helping me. You may not believe it, but you've done more for me than you'd ever imagine. Really, I don't know where I'd be right now if you hadn't always been there for me. Now, you need to get some rest, and I need to make our guests acquaintance, so good-night sweetheart."

"Goodnight Sasuke-kun."

* * *

><p><strong>In the lounge a few minutes later…<strong>

"Goodnight everyone."

All the persons in the room were startled at the voice. They didn't hear him enter.

"Goodnight."

"I'm Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke that is. Sorry about the scare I gave you earlier tonight. I had a rough training session."

"Training session? What are you training for?" a rather handsome young man with blonde hair asked.

"Self defence. Everyone here learns it, so scenes like that are kind of common," Sasuke half-lied. "So, are you the persons Kakashi's been blabbing about all week?"

"I guess so," the same young man replied.

"By the way, Sakura, that's the pink haired girl, sends her apologies for being unable to rejoin you guys."

"That's okay," another male, this time with teal hair said, giving Sasuke a suspicious look.

"Well, tell me about yourselves," Sasuke ordered, taking a seat, looking directly at the teal-haired kid.

"Of course," the blonde began. "I'm Joseph Gehabich. The redhead beside me is my sister, Alice. We're from Russia and we're on a Japanese exchange program."

"My name is Lucas Prideaux. I'm French and I'm also on the program," the teal-haired one informed him.

"I'm Daniel Kuso and I'm from Tokyo," a brunette with goggles on said. "This is my girlfriend Runo Misaki," he pointed to a girl with blue hair. "And those two over in that corner are Julie Makimoto with silver hair and Billy Gilbert, the blonde haired Australian."

"Nice to meet you all. There are quite a few of my housemates you haven't met yet, and I assume Sakura didn't get the chance to fill you in on all of the happenings, so there're just a few things you need to note. Kakashi is a bit busy, so you mightn't see him tomorrow. Also, school starts tomorrow at 8 and everyone should be up by 6. Breakfast, courtesy of Shari-san is at 6:30. You'll find uniforms in your closets, and we walk in groups. Believe it or not, this place is dangerous. I understand that you're supposed to be gathering data on how things work on this side of the country for your program, but please, do not join any clubs, societies or groups that you're not sure about. People around here love to take advantage of foreigners. And most importantly, if you have anything you want to ask, don't be shy."

"I have a question. Like, where do we sleep cuz' I'm soooo tired," Daniel whined.

"Wonderful choice Mr. Kuso. You've touched everyone's favourite topic," Sasuke said sarcastically. "Could everyone get into the hallway please?" The large group of teens gathered their luggage and stepped out. Sasuke then looked for the person with the most bags which happened to be Julie. Shaking his head, he took the heaviest one from her then led everyone up to the second floor. "Girls' rooms on the left and boys' on the right. Let me deal with the girls first though," Sasuke said. So, for the next few minutes, Sasuke hurriedly ushered everyone into their rooms, accepting whispered thanks while reminding them to keep quiet. _Since when did I get so pleasant?_

Soon, the hallway was empty, and that warm feeling that comes when one has company immediately left Sasuke. He wanted to sleep – he longed for it, but he was afraid of it. He was afraid of what sick, traumatizing thoughts may creep out of the crevices of his weary mind. Sighing, he got his diary from his room, retrieved a chocolate bar from his box, then went to the foyer on the third storey. Sitting down, he let his mind run over the past day's events. _It's getting worse now. I really do hope that Shari-san doesn't tell Kakashi-san anything. Misaki, Daichi and Sankuru had better keep their mouths shut. I can trust Sai. He understands... I wonder what this fellow is like – Lucas Prideaux he says. Well, he's more observant than the rest. _

Sasuke sighed and began to massage his scalp with one hand. All of a sudden he didn't feel like writing anymore. Staring into the darkness before him he began wondering about his future. Wondering if he might indeed hurt one of his housemates. Wondering if he might lose himself at school, or 'work'. His worries made him even sleepier, however, and in a few minutes, he was out like a light.

* * *

><p><em>Sasuke stood in a small windowless room. Its walls were coated with blood, and slaughtered bodies lay at his bare feet – their sickening stench upsetting his stomach. He could see their faces now. They were all his friends and family - Itachi, his parents, Shikamaru, Sai, Ino, Hinata, Neji, and a few more. Only two persons whom he knew remained alive – Naruto and Sakura. Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared behind the two. It had a long katana in its hand and it grasped Sakura's neck. Slowly, the figure raised its head. It looked straight at him with a sadistic grin and a thirst for blood in its eyes. Sasuke's breath hitched in his throat when he saw who the figure was. It was him, well, his 'other self', that is. <em>

"_Nice you could join us at last, my dear Sasu-chan," 'it' said. Sasuke tried to speak, but no words came out; only his hot breath. _

"_Sasu, why do you have to be so difficult? You always want to be so valiant and brave, like the night in shining armour, right? Or, am I exaggerating? Tell me, my sweet," the other Sasuke ordered. He was playing with his katana now. He looked at Sakura being held hostage in his arms and smiled rather widely. "You claim that you don't want to hurt anyone, especially them. Don't you realize that they keep holding you back? Sasuke, you have so much potential. So much beautiful skill. So much raw power. But, because of them it never gets used. I can help you. Give me a chance." Sasuke felt himself moving towards his other self against his will. He stopped when he was right beside him. The other Sasuke placed the katana is Sasuke's right hand. He then released his grip on Sakura, but immediately grabbed Sasuke's hand and held her neck tight once more. "See. It's this simple," the other Sasuke said as he moved Sasuke's right hand to Sakura's heart region. He then removed his hand. To Sasuke's absolute horror, he pushed the katana through Sakura's chest, then turned around and cut his immobile friend's throat. As soon as he did that, Sasuke dropped the sword. Just before dying, Sakura managed to look into Sasuke's eyes. "Why?" she whispered with her last breath. Wheezing, he fell to the floor. His alter ego laughed and applauded him. "Wonderful job Sasu-chan. That was so… __**entertaining**__," he said in a syrupy voice while vanishing into thin air. Sasuke laid wheezing and staring at his two friends who had just died by his bloody hand. He was about to run the katana through his own chest when a little boy appeared in front of him. Sasuke couldn't recognize his face. The little boy stepped forward and gazed at Sasuke with his matching obsidian eyes. He stretched out one of his small hands to Sasuke who grasped it immediately._

Sasuke woke up. He was sweating profusely and his heart was working double time. He put his palm to his forehead and allowed his breathing to return to normal. Slowly, he opened his eyes. The tips of the clouds were pink and the place was brightening up. It was 5:30 a.m. With a sigh, Sasuke gathered his things and prepared himself for the long day ahead.

* * *

><p>I hope you all liked it. As I've said before, I'm not really good at writing and letting things flow, but I still hope I've gotten the idea across. I'm having a small issue though. You people aren't reviewing. Honestly, it's really depressing, and I want to know what you guys think of my work. I'd really be happy if my valued readers would just <strong>review<strong> my work please!

PS - Sorry for the late updates. I've had these chapters as well as the two upcoming ones on my computer for a while, but I couldn't bother to upload them. Gomen-nasai. (Sorry.)

~ Anne Callendar


	5. The Price of Beauty

**FIRST A CRACK, NOW A CREVICE**

**THE PRICE OF BEAUTY**

_Italics – _thoughts/memories/dreams

* I know nothing about any of the Japanese places mentioned and I do not own Naruto, Bakugan, or anything associated with them.

Sasuke woke up. He was sweating profusely and his heart was working double time. He put his palm to his forehead and allowed his breathing to return to normal. Slowly, he opened his eyes. The tips of the clouds were pink and the place was brightening up. It was 5:30 a.m. With a sigh, Sasuke gathered his things and prepared himself for the long day ahead.

He left the foyer, then went down to his bedroom where he threw his stuff on the bed, went into the bathroom, cleaned himself up then came out with his towel wrapped around his waist and his black hair damp and clinging to his skin. He stood in front of his mirror. He looked terrible. His skin was pale as usual and the dark rings under his eyes were even more pronounced. He was rather short – it was like he was shrinking each day. The scars on his skin did nothing to improve his situation. _Boy do I look like crap. I need to start thinking of some excuses for the teachers. _Sighing, he lazily dragged on his uniform and got his bag ready. After that, he looked at his watch. 6 a.m... _Everyone else should be getting up now. I should go help Shari-san_.

When he got downstairs, he was greeted by the scent of Shari's cooking. Licking his lips, Sasuke made his way into the kitchen. "Morning."

The young lady spun around, wooden spoon in hand. "Oh, hey Sasuke. You're always the first one up. How'd you sleep?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Fine," he lied. "I came here to see if you needed any help though. Remember, you're cooking for 1 Naruto, the rest of us, and a whole bunch of foreigners. Also, if Kakashi decides to drag his half-dead body here, then, that's one more."

Shari laughed. "Aww. You always know how to cheer people up."

"Nice guy, aren't I?"

"Don't push your luck. Here, you can set the dining table."

"Kay."

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, upstairs…<strong>

Naruto moaned. Something sharp was sticking him repeatedly in his side. It stopped and started again. He grumbled something, then rolled over. He hugged his pillow tight. The thing began sticking him again. "Stooop it. Come on, cut it out." Naruto brushed the thing off him, but it came back again and this time, it cut him. Instantly, Naruto sprang up from the pain. He rubbed his eyes vigourously, then turned to face an indifferent Shikamaru with a pocket knife in his hand.

"Dude," Naruto began in a raspy voice. "Did you just cut me with that thing?!"

"Obviously baka," the level headed teen replied. He was busy texting on his phone.

"Why would you do something like that Shikamaru?!" Naruto was red in the face now and pacing up and down the room looking like he was about ready to burst. "Do you know how good a rest I was having?"

"We have school today, and we have our first class together. It's too troublesome to have Sasori-san asking me why you're always late." With that, Shikamaru exited Naruto's room and returned to his own.

Naruto now moved about in a daze. He made his bed, got his stuff ready and went into the bathroom (but he totally forgot about the cut). More than 30 minutes later, he descended the staircase and headed for the dining room. When he went inside, he didn't even notice the unfamiliar faces around him. "Morning," he mumbled half-heartedly. As soon as Naruto sat down, he plopped his face right into a plate of steaming hot hashed browns. Immediately jerked his head back and began cursing loudly. "Shari, you jackass! What do I keep telling you about putting food on my plate before I come? Especially when it's hot and you know I'm gonna fall asleep at the table! Sheesh woman." After that, Sai (who came a little before Sasuke last night) picked up a glass of ice cold water and poured it right on Naruto's head. Calmly, he replaced the glass, completely oblivious that all eyes were on him. Fuming and fully awake, Naruto stormed up to his room red in the face and swelled up with rage.

The visitors were all in shock. They all looked at the regulars in the home. None of them seemed the least bit worried or surprised. "Sorry about that," Shari said. "You'll have to get used to that. It's a regular thing around here."

"Who was that guy though," Daniel asked, scratching his head. "He's kind of a drama queen."

Runo punched Daniel on the head rather viciously. "Kinda like you ya know."

"Oh, you probably weren't introduced to everyone. *Houserats, you can pick up their names later. I'll just point and talk, but you'll have to follow, okay?"

"Kay," Daniel said.

"Starting with the pink haired one. She's Sakura Haruno. Medicinal expert. The one beside her is Sasuke Uchiha. They're dating. Sasuke majors in sword art and self defence, as well as science. Then we have Shikamaru Nara. He's a lazy strategist. Ino Yamanaka beside him is a conceited person who loves fashion, textiles, and stuff like those. She does some self defence too. That loud blonde one that stormed out of here was everybody's favourite idiot – Naruto Uzumaki. Neji Hyuuga is our eldest. He's a self centred genius who knows a lot about the body and nerves. His little sister Hinata is timid, introvertial, and knows about the nerves and stuff too. Both do self defence, but Hinata's a big help to Sakura when it comes on to medicine. The other two – Temari and Tenten are away right now, but they should be coming home soon. Finally, we have Sai. He stays over here when he gets bored with his own Home. He works with Sasuke. (They have jobs by the way.)"

"Nice to meet you all," Joseph and Runo said simultaneously.

"Well, Shari-sama, I must thank you for those _**wonderful **_introductions, but, I'm afraid, if we waste any more time, we might miss our bus," Neji said. In the back of his mind he was plotting a scheme to get back at her.

"Neji's right, we should get going. Everyone, go outside please, and wait for me while I get this numbskull downstairs." Ino marched out of the kitchen, a determined look on her face. They said farewell to Shari, then went outside. Not long after, they could hear the terrified screams of a certain young blonde male accompanied by the commanding shouts of an annoyed blonde woman, then – out came Naruto, his face creased in pain followed by a satisfied Ino, cracking her knuckles.

* * *

><p>In a few moments, the large group of teenagers was strolling through the school campus. The courtyard was filled with other Japanese students making their way to their homeroom classes, chatting happily, and sitting under the huge oak and pine trees until the bell rang. The cool wind carried their loud voices far across, even to the surrounding hills and the Katsiru mountain range. Inside the large four story building were immaculately clean floors, dozens of rooms, laboratories and offices.<p>

The group made their way to room 3C. "Okay, this is where we split up," Shikamaru announced, pulling out a slip of paper. "This is our class division list. In room 3C with homeroom teacher Sasori, we have Temari, Billy Gilbert, Sakura Haruno, Neji Hyuuga, Daniel Kuso, Julie Makimoto, Shikamaru Nara, Naruto Uzumaki, Ino Yamanaka. The rest of you, namely Tenten, Hinata Hyuuga, Sai, Alice Gehabich, Joseph Gehabich, Sasuke Uchiha, Lucas Prideaux and Runo Misaki are in room 3D with Tsunade sensei. Chao…" The teens grouped themselves then entered their classrooms. Everyone's head in room 3D popped up when the assigned group entered. Some of the girls started blushing and some of the boys' mouths began to water upon seeing three beautiful girls enter.

Tsunade just gave the rest of the class one look, and all of their fantasies and hidden desires instantly disappeared. Sai and Sasuke gave Tsunade an acknowledging nod, then went to their seats in the middle of the class. Hinata followed timidly behind them and claimed a seat beside Sai. "Good morning newcomers. Obviously, I'm your homeroom teacher, Tsunade. In this school, we have a 'lookout system'. Your two lookouts will be Sai and Sasuke, since you're more familiar with them; therefore, I want you to sit as close together as possible. Could we have your introductions please?" Tsunade asked, putting down an electronic cigarette. Runo boldly stepped forward. Staring intently at her new classmates, she gave her name, age, and where she came from. As she went to sit down behind Sasuke, several boys' eyebrows instinctively rose. Next was Joseph, who always spoke in a charismatic manner. Tsunade directed him to have a seat beside Runo. After him was his timid little sister, Alice. She had her head bent, and was staring at the floor while fumbling with her well-fitting uniform. Pushing some of her long silky red hair behind her right ear, she lifted her soft chocolate-brown eyes. Licking her plump lips for moisture, she said her name in a soft, silky voice, then explained where she was from. As she walked to her seat beside Sasuke, quite a few boys in the class began to show visible signs of stimulation, and quite a few girls began to flush red with hatred. Tsunade just looked on and shook her head with sympathy for the oblivious girl. _Good thing she's not last. _Finally came Lucas. Some of his hair fell limp over his forehead, partially covering one of his grey eyes. Everyone in the class was so shocked when Lucas declared that he was from La Rochelle, France, that they totally forgot about Alice's introduction. Nonchalantly, he went to have a seat behind Sai. Sighing, Tsunade went through the other formalities then gave the class the timetable.

The day lazed on until the last period before lunch. It was Physical Education Class (aka Gym class) – the most hated class for the day. Guy-sensei and Deidara-sensei decided to begin grouping class 3C and class 3D together for Gym lessons. Everyone was gathered in the gymnasium. It was a huge room with glossy hardwood floors and swinging glass doors that led out to the tennis court, netball court, football field and swimming pool. Inside were the basketball and volleyball courts. The girls wore white T-shirts with the school's logo on it with black shorts with a white stripe on either side. The boys wore the same, but the only difference was that they wore pants instead.

"Good morning my youthful ones!" Guy-sensei greeted, his perfect teeth shining in the sunlight.

"Hello-un." Deidara-sensei said unenthusiastically.

"As most of you know, I am Guy, your main PE teacher, but for this year, our principal has chosen Deidara to be our Yoga teacher in addition to an Art teacher, as Yoga is 'an expressive form of art- un.' Anyway, as I've already been informed of your names, I would like everyone to warm up with four laps around our beautiful football field. Go, in the springtime of your youth!"

All the students except for the three Europeans groaned, and began to file out of the gym. Joseph walked up to Guy and handed him three envelopes. Deidara walked over with a hand on his hip, and peeped over Guy's shoulder. Frowning, Guy read the contents of the envelopes, then replaced them. He handed the three heart rate monitors then said, "Alright you three, I've read your medical certificates, but I want you to run a lap or two around the field for warm ups. Come back when you're done and we'll see what we can do for you."

Alice adjusted her headband and got her hair into a high ponytail. "Ready?" Joseph asked, putting his heart rate monitor on. In a few moments, all three of them were sweating on the football field. Joseph stopped halfway, put his hands on knees and gasped for air. Lucas soon caught up to him. He checked Joseph's heart rate monitor, then he helped him up, took hold of his hand and practically dragged him around the other half of the field. Alice was in her own little world, making her way to the gymnasium at her own pace, while at the same time, unconsciously making several girls jealous and several boys lustful. Now her feminine features were more pronounced in a T-shirt and shorts than in a jacket and skirt. Surprisingly, she was the first to arrive. She sat down at Deidara's feet and waited for the others. "Shameful! You let a girl beat you here?!" Guy roared. "Blondie, your friend had to carry you halfway here-un. You're so weak-un." Deidara commented, looking at his fingernails.

"I'll take Alice and Lucas for yoga. I suggest you let your _**assistant**_ take care of the other one-un. Come, my blank canvases. Get a yoga mat and we'll begin to paint something useful-un."

"Finally, we can agree on something. My youthful assistant Rock Lee, your refreshing sensei needs your assistance!"

Instantly, a young boy with bobbed hair and really bushy eyebrows came running to Guy out of a closet. He stood beside Guy, thinking himself very majestic in a green sweat suit that matched his favourite sensei's. "Lee, my young one, you must take the blonde kid (Joseph's his name) and do some cardio training with him. Don't push him too hard though. He's below average."

"Understood Guy-sensei." Joseph sighed in humiliation and left to do some cardio exercises with Lee. For the remainder of the Gym period, Guy had his regular students play a heated game of volleyball, Deidara led his tiny group through a series of downward dogs and sun salutes, and finally, Lee had his classmate puffing and desperately gasping for breath. At the end of the class, the teachers and the assistant brought the students together and congratulating them for their good jobs. As soon as they were dismissed, Joseph wiped his red face with a small handkerchief he carried, then quickly and angrily left the room. He was the first to reach the male showers. The rest of the boys walked to the showers together and secretly snickered at their associate's childish behaviour. Hinata and Sakura ran up to Alice who was chatting happily away with Deidara. He was just finishing up his conversation about various pieces of artwork when they interrupted. "Excuse me Deidara-sensei, we need to borrow Alice for a bit, or else we'll be late for lunch." Sakura said politely.

"Mmm. All good conversations must end-un. I'll see you three in art class later down the line, and I still want your h-."

"You're not getting our hair, okay Deidara!" Sakura stepped on her teacher's toe, grabbed the other two, then rushed to the showers.

* * *

><p>The girls' shower room was a large steam-filled room with dozens of lockers and benches on one side, and rows of showers further down. The shower curtains were made thin, so one could see what the other was doing inside. This was designed to discourage any indecencies that may happen inside a stall. Alice stripped herself of her clothing and took her hair out of a ponytail. She placed her belongings in her bag on a bench that was near her shower stall. She wrapped a white towel around her small body, then entered her stall. While she was bathing, she reflected on her day so far. <em>Everyone here seems to be so kind to me. The teachers, janitors, students, well pretty much everybody. The only thing is that some of the girls were giving me dirty looks in class. I wonder if I've offended them… <em>Meanwhile a group of three girls stood outside, going through Alice's things. One with shoulder length lavender hair took out some paints and a pair of scissors from her bag. Another with chin length brown hair cut a piece of fabric from Alice's skirt, then she opened a jar of paint. Dipping the fabric in the paint, she wrote the word '**snake**' on Alice's white school blouse. The other two girls snickered, then joined in until Alice's clothes were a tattered mess. They quickly went away to wash their hands and dry them, as they wanted to see Alice's expression when she came out. They innocently perched on a nearby bench. Other onlookers giggled and stood nearby, wanting to see what Alice would do too. Hinata exited the shower stall and dressed herself. _I wonder what everyone is waiting around for? Even Inoue and Aileen. It must be something worth watching then. _Sakura followed right after, thinking the same thoughts. She found Hinata, and they stood near the back of the group, not really eager to be considered a part of what was going on…

Alice turned off the pipe. _Did I take that long? The whole place is quiet. I wonder if Hinata and Sakura waited for me. _She dried herself with her towel then wrapped it around her. She looked around at everyone. She still wondered why they were all so quiet, but she was too shy to speak. Alice silently made her way to her bag. Opening it, she took out what was supposed to be her uniform. Instantly, she dropped the clothing to the floor and held on to her towel. She began to wheeze. Tears filled her eyes. She tried desperately to hold them back, but they came anyway. _Why? Why is it always me? Everywhere I go, it's the same. _All the other girls except Hinata, Sakura and a few others who felt guilty laughed loudly. Alice crouched down low and covered her face; her silky hair brushed the ground. Sakura and Hinata pushed their way forward. "Oi! You think this is funny? You all are despicable! How could you do this to her? She just moved here." Since Sakura got involved, most of the girls stopped laughing immediately and left the room as quickly as possible. Soon, only the six girls were left inside.

"We were the ones who did this Sakura," the one with the lavender hair said.

"Why, Dianne? What has Alice done to you for her to deserve this?"

"First of all, ever since she came this morning, she's been acting all innocent, and stealing all the attention."

"She made all the boys go 'ga-ga' over her, and she behaves like she doesn't even notice. She was even flirting with Deidara-sensei," the third one with curly black hair complained.

"Alice even makes our boyfriends turn away from us. It's so unfair! Everything was fine before she came!" the brown haired girl explained.

"Dianne, Kozuki and Luna, you are so shallow. The world doesn't revolve around you guys and your relationships. You even assume and jump to false conclusions. Pathetic." Hinata criticized. Her eyes widened slightly, surprised that she said that.

"I'll show you pathetic!" Kozuki shouted. "She's so absorbed in self pity that she can't even defend herself. Crying on the floor because of some spoilt clothes." Kozuki raised her hand to slap Alice, but much to her surprise, Alice jammed an injection needle into her side. Kozuki fell to the floor as soon as all of the liquid was flowing through her veins.

"What's happening? I-I can't move! Someone help! Look at what the witch has done to me! Help, please!"

Alice stood up uneasily, keeping her towel securely in place around her with her elbows. Even though her knees were shaking, she held another injection needle protectively in front of her with both hands. She had stopped crying now, but her eyes were red and puffy and her face was flushed.

"She's just paralyzed," Hinata said. As soon as she said that, Dianne and Luna stared at Alice with scared eyes. They lifted their friend from the ground and retreated to the nurse's quarters without a word. Hinata rushed to Alice's aid while Sakura took out her cell and dialled Lucas's number…

* * *

><p>FOOTNOTES<p>

*house rats – shari sometimes calls the boarders by that name

I decided to change the focus for a bit. Hope you don't mind a bit of cliché high school drama. Sorry for the late review though. I just couldn't get around to posting.

Hope you all liked this chapter. Rate and review please!

~Anne Callendar


	6. Behind the Scenes

**BEHIND THE SCENES**

**Don't expect much, really. It's just a filler, but I intend to link these events with future ones. I ended up cutting out a whole lot of unnecessary stuff in this chapter.**

*** I know nothing about any of the Japanese places mentioned and I do not own Naruto, Bakugan, or anything associated with them.**

**NB: This is not the Naruto-verse. Think of it as the 'normal world'.**

* * *

><p>Alice stood up uneasily, keeping her towel securely in place around her with her elbows. Even though her knees were shaking, she held another injection needle protectively in front of her with both hands. She had stopped crying now, but her eyes were red and puffy and her face was flushed.<p>

"She's just paralyzed," Hinata said. As soon as she said that, Dianne and Luna stared at Alice with scared eyes. They lifted their friend from the ground and retreated to the nurse's quarters without a word. Hinata rushed to Alice's aid while Sakura took out her cell and dialled Lucas's number…

"Where are those three?" Daniel placed his head in his hands. He was seated with the rest of his group in the lunch room. All the others were busy eating, texting or staring into space.

"It's not like Hinata to be late for anything," Ino mused. "I wonder if anything's happened to them."

Just then, Lucas' phone rang. He but down a black bottle with unknown contents beside his plate, then answered.

"Hello?"

….

"Oh, it's you."

…..

"Ah. I figured that would happen. I'll be right there."

"What is it?" Ino asked.

"Some drama in the girls' shower room. I'll be back. I have to go take care of something. Oh, and Daniel, don't touch my food." Lucas left the group, fumbling in his jacket pockets for his locker key.

"Don't touch my food he says." Daniel mocked. He slid over to Lucas' seat, picked up his fork, then prepared to take a bite.

"I think he said that for a reason you know," Naruto warned.

"We're all eating the same thing, so what harm should this do to me? Besides, I've been waiting so long for an opportunity to get back at him."

"Get back at him for what?"

"Every time he cooks something French, he shares it with everyone except for me." Daniel ate the food that was waiting for him on the fork. Before he could finish chewing, his face turned a sick shade of green. He almost threw up, but Runo, foreseeing this forced him to swallow it. Clutching his throat, Dan gasped for air. After regaining his breath, he gulped down the rest of his orange juice.

"Well, what does it taste like?" Ino taunted.

"Clams, oysters, octopus, and peanuts along with a sour wine. This stuff is disgusting! Did he lace it with something just for me?"

"No he didn't. He put whatever was in the black bottle on it, then he took a few bites before his cell rang." Ino and the others laughed, causing Dan to flush red in embarrassment.

After the commotion died down, Sai launched a straightforward question at Runo. "Why was Alice behaving like that this morning? Is she weak in the head or something?"

"No. That's just how she is. Shy, soft-spoken and timid."

"You know almost everyone hates her, right."

Shikamaru and Neji looked Sai straight in the eye, and Sasuke pinched him under the table. "What? It's the truth."

"We know she's hated. That's why we try to shelter her."

"You try to shelter her from who exactly?" Ino asked, scratching her head.

"Everyone. School boys, school girls, strangers, working people, political idols, just everyone."

"Can't she fend for herself?" Ino looked puzzled now.

"Yes, but no."

"That's going to pose a big problem," Sai said. "Everyone here is required to 'study' self defence. None of those Euros seem to have the physical ability to keep up with training."

"Don't judge by appearances." Daniel defended. "Alice makes solutions that can effectively paralyze or kill a person if need be. Joseph is a skilled marksman, even though he'd have to use a pistol or a revolver, cuz he's not strong enough to carry anything either. Lucas can use a gun if need be, but, he has a thing for sword art." At the words 'sword art' Sasuke's eyebrows rose.

"If that's the case, why did you see the need for all of that? It all seems a little over the top for just self defence," Shikamaru scrutinized.

"We hadn't told you before," Dan began to explain. "But, we work for the Japanese government. Because of that, lots of people want to get a hold of us to kill us or use us as hostages. There are quite a few enemies out there, especially because we have quite a few important persons on our research team. Joseph and Alice are Russian ambassadors, Lucas is a French ambassador, and he's also one of the heirs of Pierre Prideaux's business. You should know him – owner of one of the largest real estate agencies in Europe. We also have Billy who's close to the Australian President, and the rest of us are choice students of Tokyo Academy."

"Ah. I see."

"You mustn't let anyone know, though."

"Okay. You have our word."

* * *

><p>Lucas hurried through the corridors to his locker where he took out a black beret, a school shirt and a pair of black uniform pants. When he got to the girls' shower room, he instantly saw Alice sitting on a bench, a white towel wrapped around her small body. Lucas jogged up to her, then kneeled down in front of her. She wasn't crying. Instead, she just sat there, staring at her fingers. Lucas bundled the clothes in one arm, then wrapped the other around Alice, and helped her into a nearby shower stall. He drew the curtains and turned his back to her while she donned her underwear. He thanked Sakura and Hinata too. Turning around when Alice was done, he looked at her. Pity and sorrow filled his eyes.<p>

"Hey. Everything is going to be okay Ally. There's no need for you to dwell on the past. We'll just get through this like always, okay?" Slowly, Alice lifted her chocolate brown eyes to meet his grey ones, then she nodded in agreement. Lucas helped her into a boy's uniform, then he helped her to stuff her hair underneath the beret. In a few moments, both stepped outside.

Hinata had gone to the others, so only Sakura was there. "Sakura, meet Eric," Lucas said while taking off his jacket and putting it on Alice. She looked just like a young schoolboy (the jacket, oversized shirt and sports bra helped conceal her breasts). The pink haired girl's eyes widened, but she kept silent.

"We need to go to the principal's office. Could you show us where it is, Sakura?"

"Sure. Right this way." Sakura got her things and exited the room. She expertly manoeuvred a series of corners, turns, stairs and passageways until they were at a large wooden door with PRINCIPAL on it in bold letters. She knocked, and a buzzer that followed short after allowed the three to enter the room. There was a large wooden table at the back of the room with a leather chair behind it. In that chair sat a slim woman with silver hair that was pulled back into a tight bun. On the table were neat piles of paperwork and books and in the rest of the room, there were bookshelves, chairs, trophies, pictures and plaques.

"Ahh, Miss Gehabich, Miss Haruno, and Monsieur Prideaux, it is a pleasure to see you all. Please, sit. Uh, Alice, darling, why are you cross dressing?"

"I am not cross dressing Tachibana-san. There was a little incident earlier on and I have to take protective measures."

"Incident?" The lady's eyebrows arched, knowing this could get her into some serious trouble.

"Well, Luna, Kozuki, and Dianne from rooms 3C and 3D destroyed her uniform. They attempted to attack her as well, but she paralyzed them. That is why we came here."

"Thank you Sakura. Well, since you have spoken to me before, and there is no serious damage, I'll pardon you. Tell those girls to come pick up their detention slips later. If there's anything more, feel free to tell me."

"We'll keep that in mind, Tachibana-san. Thank you and goodbye," Lucas said.

In a few moments, Alice, Sakura and Lucas were seated at the lunch table. Lucas looked at his meal, looked at Dan, then excused himself and threw it away. "For the rest of today, Alice will go by the name of Eric," Billy explained. "We're doing this to avoid conflict for the rest of the day, cuz everybody knows that girls are just so much more emotional than boys. Eric can't speak, so he'll use sign language and we'll have to interpret for him...

Everyone agreed to the idea, and it worked pretty well throughout the rest of the day. They skipped club meetings that day; for fear that Alice would be discovered.

* * *

><p>As soon as they got home, Sasuke went to the kitchen, and Sai plopped down on a couch. Sasuke removed a chocolate bar from his box, then went up to his room. He took a bath, changed his clothes, and entered Sakura's room. She was taking a shower. Meanwhile, Sasuke rested his chocolate bar on the night-table, and crawled under the covers on Sakura's bed. After a good twenty minutes, Sakura emerged from the bathroom. Unknown to her, Sasuke's dark eyes were watching her as she dressed herself.<p>

"Nyah~ Sasu-chan must be gone by now." She sat on the edge of her bed, and stared up at the ceiling. Sakura gasped when, she felt soft arms circling around her neck, and pulling her further up onto the bed. She was eventually pulled right against Sasuke's body.

"Sasuke, I thought you and Sai would be gone by now."

"Day off," he mumbled into her hair. Sasuke slid his hands down to her waist and wrapped his arms around her. "Do you have anything you want help with?" his voice sounded playful - a rare thing for him. Sakura gasped, wriggled under the covers and began to blush. She turned to face him and gave him a gentle kiss on his lips. Accepting her invitation, Sasuke took command over her. He kissed her slowly and passionately. Sakura slid a small hand underneath his shirt, and both of them sat up – Sasuke's back was against the wall. She straddled his hips. Breaking a kiss he sighed deeply when Sakura stroked the base of his neck.

"I'm glad that you're staying today. I was pretty worried that you'd get one of those tough field missions and have to stay from school tomorrow."

"Don't think about those things. Even if I leave, it won't be forever. I know you need me, but I don't think you'd die without me." Sasuke smirked.

The smile was wiped clean off of his face when Sakura whacked the back of his head though.

* * *

><p>Shari made a great spread for everyone at dinner. Naruto's and Dan's mouths watered when they saw the table. Naruto attempted to snatch a wanton before everyone was present, but Sari slapped his hand away. When the last person arrived, everyone dug in and ate their fill. For the first in history, Naruto gave no trouble at the dining room table, except for his refusal to eat with a knife. After dinner, Sai and Alice volunteered to help Shari clean up. Sasuke stopped Lucas when both of them got upstairs.<p>

"I hear you're a French ambassador and a rich man's son," Sasuke began.

"Yeah. What of it?" Lucas' grey eyes narrowed.

"I also hear you're interested in sword art."

"What are we getting at here?"

"Look, I'm skilled with swords, and I want to make you an offer. How about training with me whenever we have free time?"

"Why would you want to do that?"

"You're not used to people making genuine offers with no catches, I guess. You have persons you want to protect, right."

Lucas looked down at the floor. "Yes, I do."

"Wait for me in the training room. There are a whole lot of weapons ready. Get two swords of your choice. One for you and the other for me. I'll be there soon." With that, Sasuke returned to Sakura's room to retrieve his chocolate bar he'd left behind. When he arrived in the training room, he saw Lucas inspecting two fencing swords. Sasuke picked one up and tested it out. "Well, since you have a preference for your native culture, we can start with these, but later on, we can practice with katanas, okay?"

"No problem. Once I can lift it, I'm fine."

"Ready?"

"Angard."

The two boys showed their individual style and skill with the fencing swords. After an hour of clashing, blocking, and falling (on Lucas' part), Sasuke handed Lucas a katana and showed him the basics. After that, he blindfolded himself and fought with Lucas. Of course, Sasuke came out victorious. At 9 o'clock, he went downstairs to clear his mind. Lucas said that he would join him soon, then went to get something. Much to his surprise, Alice sat down on the very last step of the staircase. She had her head bent as usual, but this time, she was clutching her head and crying.

"Alice, what's wrong?" Sasuke asked, kneeling down to see her face.

"Please. Stay away from me."

"It's okay. I won't hurt you."

"That's what everybody tells me, but they all end up hurting me in the end." She raised a pair of scissors and was about to cut her hair, but Sasuke firmly grabbed her hand, pried the scissors out and threw them across the floor. Alice then looked up at him, crying harder now. She stood up unsteadily.

"You don't want me too, right?"

"What do you mean?"

Just then, Lucas descended the staircase. He stood behind her then asked, "Is everything okay?" in response; Alice turned to him, threw her arms around his neck, and cried in his arms. Lucas picked her up, bridal style and motioned Sasuke to a nearby sofa. When he was seated, he gently stroked her hair and placed his lips on her forehead.

"I know you're thinking about _that_ again. I told you to stop, and not to worry about it anymore. I'm not going to let anybody lay a finger on you. Why don't you trust me?"

Sasuke looked at the couple. When he had first seen Lucas' eyes, he distinctly remembered them as being cold and harsh, but now, when he looked at him with Alice, his eyes were filled with love and warmth. _How could he do so much for a girl who doesn't even return his feelings?_

"You'll feel better if you talk about it."

"Can I trust him?" Alice asked weakly, turning to face Sasuke. Lucas nodded in approval.

"S-Sasuke-kun?" Alice asked turning to face him. "Would you like an explanation for my strange behaviour?"

"Yes I would, but if it's going to hurt you, then don't"

"It's okay. Please listen…"

She then launched into a summary of her unpleasant past social experiences and how she had to change schools frequently because she'd always been the bullies' target, whether physically or emotionally.

* * *

><p><strong>Don't feel bad if you don't understand this chapter. I had originally typed in Alice's background story, but a bit later, I found it unnecessary and so deleted it. Gomen! After all this time of inactivity, all I give to you is one measly filler. Take heart, however. Things should finally start getting to the point by the next chapter. So, this is where I leave you...<strong>

Thought:

"I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right. "

- Albert Einstein

******~A. C******


	7. Secrets

**Aaaaah...well...not much to say really. I just hope you can enjoy this on my behalf. I've sort of lost my passion for it, but, I will persevere.**

_Italics – _thoughts/memories/dreams

*** I know nothing about any of the Japanese places mentioned and I do not own Naruto, Bakugan, or anything associated with them.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>SECRETS<strong>_

Alice was perched on Lucas' lap. Sasuke looked at her sadly. Never would he have imagined that this delicate girl had such a rough past.

"I-I hope you're not disgusted with me. I'm sorry you had to hear it, but speaking about that really did help me." She nervously played with the fabric at the end of her dress.

"I'm glad you told me," Sasuke said. "Now you three don't have to bear that burden alone."

"Thank you," she said with a small smile.

She then turned her attention to Lucas. He was happy she was feeling better. He smiled down into his lap.

Suddenly, Alice pushed his chin up. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, then Alice kissed his lips softly. She buried her head in the crook of his neck and he laid a hand on her narrow back. "Thanks Lucas."

"No problem. I told you that you could trust me." He sucked in the flowery scent of her hair, then looked down at her in contentment. In a few moments, his grey eyes wandered up to Sasuke. He had an arm perched on the arm of the chair, and his head was rested on it. The moonlight streamed through a nearby window, dully illuminating his features.

"Sasuke, when I first met you, I didn't like you. As a matter of fact, I was really uneasy around you. Liars are the worst persons."

Sasuke smirked and turned his attention to Lucas. He ran a hand through his hair and looked intently at him. Any other person would feel intimidated by that look, but Lucas matched him squarely with his lips twisted in a half-smile. Alice nervously looked up. Her grip tightened as she looked at the two males, obviously exchanging ideas through their expressions.

After a while, she mustered up enough courage to break the silence. "U-um. Sasuke-kun, is this about when you lied to us about being injured in self defence training?"

Sasuke softened his stare, and turned his attention to Alice. She was sitting absolutely still, and the only sign of unease on her was that she had a death grip on Lucas' shirt. "Ne, was it that obvious?"

"Not really. I can tell that whatever your secret is, it's bugging you, and as you implied before, you don't have to bear your burden alone. However, I can understand if you don't want to tell us..."

"I don't like talking much and this might take a while, but since it's you, I can only return the favour," he interrupted her.

"Don't worry Sasuke. It's not like we have to go to all our classes tomorrow, and besides, it's not like you have anything better to do." Lucas smiled at his new associate.

His attention quickly turned to Alice though. She had pushed herself up, using his chest as support. Brushing back her hair from her eyes, she placed one knee on either side of him, wrapped her legs around his waist, and pulled her body flush with his. Lucas adjusted his hold on her back and she placed her arms around his neck.

"I'm ready to hear," she said softly.

Sasuke mentally kicked himself because of how oblivious they were.

* * *

><p>"Have you ever heard the saying that all humans are created equal?"<p>

"Yes," the two replied.

"You know it's not true, right?"

"It's not true?" Lucas scratched his head in confusion.

"Keep all of what I'm about to tell you a secret, okay."

"Okay."

"Humans really are divided into three categories – those who are normal, like you; those who are born with special abilities that will awaken at a certain age or under certain circumstances; and those who have the potential to advance far beyond normal humans and even develop special abilities."

Alice looked at Sasuke in puzzlement. "What do you mean by special abilities?"

"For example, the boy you met this morning, Sai, he can make drawings come to life. All he needs is ink and paper. Naruto has a huge energy source within his body, and that allows him to heal extremely quickly, and it increases his stamina, etc."

"Is this for real? I've only thought things like that could exist in sci-fi movies. How comes we haven't heard about this before? We work with the government for crying out loud." Lucas sighed in defeat.

"The general public isn't told because they would become uneasy. When people know that there are others who are stronger and smarter than they are, and that there are those persons who have the potential to exceed them, they become afraid. More than likely, there would be segregation and separation taking place. They would be busy trying to find out who the special ones are, and they would end up persecuting some of their own in the process. Eventually, there would be a revolt, and they'd all try killing the special ones because they'd be seen as a threat to normal humans. The special ones would strike back and as a result, there would be a lot of unnecessary bloodshed on both sides. You government agents weren't told because you still go to school and are considered as minors, and one day, something might happen and you could leak confidential information by accident."

Lucas looked down at the carpet.

"Is Sasuke-kun one of the special ones?" Alice asked, her brow furrowed in worry.

"Yes." Sasuke looked out the window, preparing himself for the next question.

"It's okay, Sasuke-kun. We won't pry. You didn't' mention your skill in the example, so I assume, you don't want us to know." Alice smiled at him sweetly.

"Ne, you need to know anyway. Sharingan. Look it up. Do you know an organization by the name of ANBU?"

"Yes," both of them answered.

"It's a special justice system that the government has organized in order to capture well known and dangerous criminals and they are also warranted the arrest of anyone who seems suspicious or potentially dangerous. We're currently in the process of seeing the establishment of ANBU in our respective countries as well." Lucas looked at Sasuke and was half surprised when he saw the boy smirk.

"Lucas, have you ever wondered why ANBU has only failed three missions before?"

Lucas' face reddened. "N-no."

"They use us as their recruits. No matter what the circumstance is, once you're ten and ANBU is in need of recruits, and you have special abilities, they'll find you."

Alice's eyes widened. "The minors work in intelligence, right, Sasuke-kun? They don't cooperate on field missions and torture sessions, do they?"

"If only that were the case." Sasuke ran a hand through his hair.

"Everyone here has special abilities, Sasuke?" Lucas had his hand balled into a tight fist.

"Everyone except Shari. I'm the only one in ANBU. Naruto used to be a member, but I managed to arrange for me to take over his missions so he could get out. I just don't get any allowances to forfeit or skip missions."

"So, those cuts and bruises on your body were from a mission? If you got injuries like those, can you imagine what a ten or eleven year old may experience? Sasuke, isn't there anything we can do about this?" Lucas fumed with anger – anger because he was practically helpless; anger because he was supporting this system all along; anger that innocent people had to suffer because of human cruelty and stupidity.

"Lucas, you must tell nobody. Don't even give anyone so much as a hint that you know what's going on. If you do, you will be killed. ANBU will see you as a threat to its confidentiality."

"So, all we can do is help you bear this burden, Sasuke-kun?" Alice's hands were cold and trembling slightly. "What-what should we do if you flip out on us?"

"Ne, flip out on you? What makes you think I'd do that?" One of his dark eyebrows rose.

"You've been participating in gory fights. No matter how strong you are, you'll have to suffer some mental damage. It's to be expected."

The room was left in complete silence at Alice's last statement.

Even though he trembled on the inside at the mere thought of killing one of his comrades, Sasuke calmly said, "If I strike you, strike me back."

* * *

><p>Sasuke sat up in bed. He looked around, struggling to remember what had happened just before he went to bed.<p>

_I had a great sleep. No nightmares, not even any dreams. Lucas and Alice really were right. Talking does help._

He allowed a yawn to escape his mouth and he stretched contentedly.

Warm sunlight streamed through the windows. It gave the whole room a cosy feeling. Under normal circumstances, Sasuke loathed the sun, but now, it gave him strange peace and slight elation.

Sakura exited the bathroom, towel wrapped around her small frame and hair dripping, a content smile on her lips. Sasuke looked around the room once more. It wasn't his – he had slept with Sakura the night before.

He rested his head on the carved wooden bed-head and stared at Sakura. "Ohayō Sakura."

She didn't jump or flinch. "Ohayō Sasuke. You slept well last night." Sakura walked over to the bed and sat down. She leaned over and took Sasuke's lips in hers. "You should hurry. You don't want to be late for breakfast, or Shari-san will have a fit."

Sasuke pouted playfully. "I'm sure she won't die if I'm late just one morning." He traced little shapes on her exposed thigh with his finger, and, just to tease her, lightly stroked the base of her neck, where she was most sensitive.

Heat immediately rose to Sakura's cheeks, and she pushed him back. "No fair, Sasu."

Sasuke innocently raised both of his hands in the air. "Gomen nasai." Sakura got up, patted his head and began to dress herself.

Sasuke got out of the room before Sakura could yell at him to 'beat it'.

In about forty minutes, he was downstairs, being lectured by a fuming Shari. The others were just about to leave when they heard her raging in the dining room. Curious, Naruto tiptoed inside, only to see Shari, red-faced, glaring at Sasuke, who calmly sat back in his chair and sipped at his cup of jasmine tea. Ino snuck up behind Naruto, tightly gripped his jacket's collar, and yanked him straight out of the house.

By the time they had all left, Shari had calmed down considerably. She watched Sasuke closely as he put down his now empty cup and reach for a plate of tamagoyaki and a bowl of miso soup. After eating half of his meal, Shari's face lit up. "Sasuke, you're eating again!" She clasped her hands together and laughed in sheer joy.

The boy gave her a confused look.

"Over the past few days, you've barely been eating anything. All you've done is feed on those disgustingly bitter coffee filled chocolate bars. And you wonder why you haven't been able to sleep well."

"Ne, Shari, I didn't notice. And the coffee in the chocolate has absolutely no effect on me; that's a fact. As if you didn't already know." Sasuke scoffed.

Shari sipped at her jasmine tea, then grinned. "Just messing with you. But, seriously, you look a bit better now. Your skin isn't as sickly pale as it was before. That's a good sign. What helped you sleep last night?"

"I had a little bonding session with Lucas and Alice. We talked about our problems, and surprisingly, just having someone who cares to listen to you makes a world of a difference."

"That's nice. How was Sakura?" Shari raised her eyebrows deviously.

"Perverted witch."

Shari's following laughter was followed by the opening of the front door. Sai stepped into the dining room. He bowed his greetings to Shari. He was dressed in his ANBU uniform and had his bag slung over his shoulder. "We have a mission. The school has already been informed that we will be late or probably absent."

Sasuke's eyes drained themselves of all life. "Where are we headed?"

"Didn't say."

Shari put her teacup down, and clasped her hands tightly together in her lap. She struggled to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

Sasuke got up with an annoyed grunt. He walked over to Shari, then pat her on the head. "Shari I'll be okay, and I promise I'll be home on time."

The distraught woman looked up and nodded her head. Immediately after, she began to occupy herself with cleaning up and in a few moments, the front door was securely locked, leaving her all alone inside a huge house, wondering if her two 'sons' would be okay.

* * *

><p>Sai and Sasuke pushed the large glass doors of the ANBU headquarters open. They walked straight up to the main desk, a large granite desk that was smack in the middle of the room. There were potted plants at either side of it, and behind it sat three well groomed and rested people. All of them were busy multitasking behind their workstations. One of them looked up and spared the two males a smile then directed them to the interrogation room. The boys simply nodded and made their way a floor underground.<p>

They walked down a well lit narrow hallway. There were several metal doors on either side, and a couple cells were near the end. They entered the second to last door and bolted it shut. Inside the room were white walls with a metal table and chairs around it. The table and chairs were firmly bolted to the concrete floor, and one of them had built in handcuffs and fetters. To one end of the room was a filing cabinet which was firmly locked, and to the other end was a leather chair with several wires and devices attached to a nearby computer.

Sai took out a ring of keys and opened one of the cabinet's drawers. He placed his and Sasuke's things inside, then checked another one for parchment, pens, etc. meanwhile, Sasuke booted up the computer and ensured it was configured correctly.

Before taking his seat, Sai placed his equipment on one side of the large table. He set a recorder right beside him. Sasuke glanced at him, and he responded with a nod.

He (Sasuke) held down a button on a broad bracelet and spoke into it. "Hibiki, you can send him in now." There was a crackle heard from the other end of the line, and almost immediately a cell's doors could be heard sliding open.

A large muscular agent dressed in ANBU Jail Warden Division's uniform marched a man up the aisle. They stopped just outside the door. The warden pushed the man inside and secured him firmly in the chair with the cuffs. He clamped a metal collar with a little chip embedded in it around his neck, saluted the other two agents, and exited.

Sasuke took a file from Sai's pile and flipped it open to a particular page.

"Jack Greysmith. Foreigner. 28 years of age. Terrorist under the DNJ organization."

The man snorted at him and turned infuriated auburn eyes in his direction.

"You **will** answer all of my questions. If not, be prepared to suffer the consequences. You **must** answer truthfully. If not, be prepared to suffer the consequences. You **will** observe ANBU procedure. If not, then you most definitely **will **suffer the consequences. As you are now under ANBU law, all of your rights have been **nullified**."

Greysmith ground his teeth in anger and tried to lunge at Sasuke. The boy immediately responded by pressing a switch which sent hundreds of volts of electricity from the metal collar to Greysmith's body (even though there was no way the man could break the shackles).

The man's body jerked erratically. He balled his hands into fists till his knuckles were white, and gritted his teeth till they squeaked. Approaching with some caution, Sasuke grasped his mop of grey hair and pulled his head up to observe his features.

"I wonder, will you co-operate?" he asked, a twinkle in his eyes.

Instead of answering, the man spat in his face. Sasuke simply wiped the spit away and allowed his eyes to rove over the appealing tools in the store room across from him, his gaze remaining the longest on a cat o'nine with spiked tips.

Sai began recording on the parchment.

Sasuke smirked, pupils slightly dilated, _'This should be an interesting day'_.

* * *

><p>Sai and Sasuke stepped into the Home a few minutes after the others. They were greeted with utter chaos. Naruto had Dan in a headlock and both were rolling around the den's floor like they were mad; Shari was busy shouting at Lucas who was rubbing his head rather sheepishly with a still disguised Alice standing behind him, clinging to his arm; Shikamaru had a bottle of sake in hand and was desperately trying to get Hinata to drink some while Neji glared daggers at him; Ino, Runo and Sakura were chucking insults at each other; Billy and Julie were nowhere to be found.<p>

Sasuke's ears began pounding, and he clenched his jaw in annoyance. Taking deep breaths, he took a U-turn, went outside, and decided to climb the three storeys to the foyer, because he preferred to fall and break his neck and every single vertebra than to go back into that hell-hole.

After a solid ten minutes of heaving and hauling, he pulled himself up and climbed over the railing. He felt relieved at the silence that came with being so high up, so he tried to soak it all in before retreating to the second floor where he plunged himself nose deep into a bathtub of warm water in his bathroom.

When he heard Shari screech Sai's name, glass bottles breaking, and Neji's aggravated shouts, he submerged his whole head, wishing that he'd never come home.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, I know. Things are moving rather slowly. I think quite a few of my brain cells are fried, so if there are errors, please forgive me. Now that you've finished reading this depressing chapter (at least, it depressed me when I posted it), I suggest you find something fun to do. Here's a quote to kick you off:<strong>

If you're feeling blue, lock yourself in a room, stand in front of a mirror, and dance - and laugh at yourself and be sexy. Dance the silliest and ugliest you've ever danced. Make fun of yourself and try to recover your sense of humour."

- Salma Hayek

**Adieu. **

**~ Anne Callendar**


	8. Flipside

**It's been ages. The only thing I can do is apologize. There are quite a few Japanese words and foods here that I suggest you look up to benefit fully. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>FIRST A CRACK NOW A CREVICE<p>

FLIPSIDE

* * *

><p>Daniel sauntered down the walkway, a stick of yakitori in his mouth and four others in both hands. Runo slapped her palm to her forehead, utterly annoyed with the blockhead. "You know that we're on our way to a restaurant right?"<p>

Because his mouth was so full there was no way that he could make a coherent sentence and even if he did open his mouth his yakitori would fall to the ground, he vigorously nodded his head – the chicken cutlets threatening to slide off the skewer.

Naruto turned up his nose at the brunette and scoffed. "Even I have some patience."

A fuse lit in Dan's eyes and he whirled around to face the slightly taller blonde. Dropping his four yakitori skewers to the pavement, he grabbed Naruto by the front of his shirt. "What'd you say bottomless pit? You lecturing me on patience and greed is the greatest insult you could ever think of." The yakitori in his mouth also fell to the pavement.

Everyone else in their group continued on the journey to the restaurant leaving the two knuckleheads to fist it out. A vagrant's eyes shone when he spotted gold (yakitori) and he dashed in and out of there before he could get hurt.

As he sat on the sidelines watching the fools fight while munching on his treasure an idea came to him. He licked his lips and grinned. After depositing the three and a half skewers of yakitori into a small paper bag for later, he got up, messed up his grey hair even more and shuffled over to the boys.

The group of teens waltzed into the restaurant. Ino bolted ahead of everyone else and chose a booth for them. She took a seat near to a large aquarium that was embedded in an entire wall. The visitors looked around and expressed their delight. Julie scuttled over to the aquarium and pointed out a huge black koi fish to Billy.

"That is a koi fish. The owner of this restaurant especially loves them. They are a symbol of good fortune and overcoming trials – quite fitting for this restaurant."

Billy and Julie swung around only to be met face to face with a nearly bald man in about his mid thirties. He wore a name tag and the staff uniform.

"I am your waiter – Hibiki Kanada. You may call me Hibiki. Honorifics don't matter to me."

"Nice to meet you Hibiki," Billy said with a grin as he moved to an open seat. Julie nodded in agreement.

"Oooh. It's quite a bit of youngsters out today. Something happen?" His eyes roved over the group.

"Our school released for mid-term break today Kanada-san." Neji looked at the waiter, a slight smirk on the tips of his lips. "We have decided that going out for a group meal would be a suitable activity."

"Oh Neji. Always the formal one, aren't you. I'll be getting the menus for you all now, so just sit tight."

"Carry two more please Kanada-san. Two of our companions should be arriving in short order."

Hibiki nodded in understanding and left the booth.

The teens' chatter was abruptly halted when two figures dragged themselves to their booth. Naruto and Dan stood before them, both looking awfully dishevelled and panting for breath but Dan leaned heavily on Naruto's shoulder. The female visitors gasped in astonishment while the others just face palmed themselves. Ino shot up from the table and grabbed them both by their ears then dragged them to the restroom. A few moments later, they emerged looking much neater than before – shoes on, shirts tucked into pants, ties straightened, blazers neatly folded in their arms and hair combed.

As they took their seats, Naruto wiped his forehead and sighed in relief. "You guys would never believe what just happened to us. This vagrant happened to see us fighting in the middle of the sidewalk and he told us that the police were doing their daily patrol and if they saw us then they would arrest us and put us in this tiny dark cellar with no ventilation and torture us by feeding us with soggy donuts and bitter coffee."

Dan nodded in agreement. "We were so grateful to him that we made up with each other and gave him 20000 yen."

Shikamaru's eye twitched. "You two buffoons really took that scammer's bait? You're more stupid than I thought."

"Whaddya mean?" Dan looked at him in genuine confusion.

"It'll be too troublesome to try to explain to some thickheads."

"Jackasses! Everybody knows that police don't do patrols on this side of the town on weekdays and who'd really believe that they feed you soggy donuts and bitter coffee. Are you really that dumb?" Sakura thumped her fist on the table, aggravated that the two dimwits had even bothered to show up. Their stupidity might make her meal taste bad.

"To make matters worse, you wasted a perfectly good 20000 yen! That would so help my budget right now." She muttered this part, trying to hide her financial issues from Ino who would hop on any chance she got to tease Sakura about her impulsive buying.

Just then Hibiki walked up to the table with a stack of menus in hand. He handed out one to each person and waited for a few minutes until they were ready to order.

"Alice and I will have the Kare Raisu." Lucas closed the menu and pushed it to the side.

"Yakisoba for me and Jules." Julie puffed out her cheeks at the nickname and Billy poked one with his finger.

"Tonkatsu for me please." Joseph read a text message that came in on his phone. "Oh! And three more to go as well please."

"Hinata sama and I will have some miso soup." Neji collected Hinata's menu when she was done with it and placed theirs with the others.

"Korokke for Shikamaru and me!" Ino responded a little too happily.

"Sasuke and I'll have your Hayashi Raisu." Sakura glanced over at Sasuke who had been watching the koi fish swim around.

"I'd love to try the Omuraisu." Runo twirled her long blue hair around a finger.

"Alright. I want Sukiyaki." Everyone, including Hibiki froze.

"Are you sure you want one whole pot of sukiyaki for yourself sir?" Hibiki scratched his scalp.

"Forget him. He's an idiot. Give me three of the largest bowls of pork ramen ya' got, okay?"

A shiver ran down Hibiki's spine, but then he remembered his manners and nodded politely then wrote down the order.

"A-ano. K-Kanada-san. May each of us have a glass of water too please?" Hinata pressed her thumbs together.

Hibiki calmed down then smiled gently at her. "Of course, Hinata."

When the food came, everyone was all smiles. They ate and chat and even Sasuke smirked at Dan's and Naruto's antics.

* * *

><p>"Hey! Since we don't know each other so well, we can bond with this activity. Just hear me out. Let's tell everyone something about ourselves that at least one person doesn't know." Runo's eyes shined brightly with hope.<p>

"I guess we could do that," Ino said slowly.

"I'm in as long as you guys don't make it a drag." Shikamaru sighed.

"Alright. I'll start. Back home in my spare time I work in a maid café."

"Maid cafés?! Those things are real? I thought they only existed in those anime I see Hinata watch all the time." Ino was in genuine shock. Hinata and Runo both blushed but when Runo glanced up at her, the girl looked about ready to pass out from guilt. _I guess it wouldn't be smart to ask what type of anime she watches._

"Yes they do. It's pretty fun working there. Your turn Dan." Runo smiled.

"Um…I have a thing for herbs. At home I have my own herbal garden, but I'm too embarrassed about it, so I just pretend that it's my mom's." He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the laughter.

"You know that's pretty cool Kuso." Naruto smiled.

"R-really?"

"Yup. You could even help Shari-san in the garden. Anything she touches turns to dust. Ahh…Don't tell her I said that though!"

Daniel laughed. "Sure."

"On that note, I guess it's my turn. My second favourite dish is onigiri. I could sit down with a whole bowl of those and they'd be gone in less than half an hour." Naruto scratched his head and grinned.

"Really? Rice balls? I figured you'd like something more noodle-ish." Julie twirled some yakisoba around her fork and popped it into her mouth.

"Don't judge," he whined. "Your turn Joe."

The blonde took a sip of his water then announced, "I'm engaged."

"What?!" everyone exclaimed. Shikamaru looked at all the shocked faces (except for Neji's and Sasuke's of course) then said, "Wait, so even your friends and sister didn't know this?"

Joseph looked around and shrugged. Sipping his water again he said, " It's an arranged marriage. I don't think it's that big of a deal…"

"Dude, you talk about your engagement like it's nothing. You're actually okay with the fact that someone chose your life partner for you?" Billy gave him a weird look.

"Yeah. She's fine with it too." Joseph looked at him strangely. "I'm confused. Am I supposed to have a problem with it?"

"No. None at all." Neji quickly answered his question to avoid putting any ideas in his head. The boy was already strange but it wouldn't help anyone if he started feeling insecure.

Joseph simply shrugged it off and gestured to the other person with his glass.

Alice placed a hand contemplatively on her chin. It was the first time since she came that she felt or looked so relaxed and happy.

"I've never been fishing before."

All eyes turned to her. I mean, who hasn't gone fishing before?

"I've been to beaches and rivers and lakes, but I've just never fished before. I really want to go someday."

"That can be arranged easily," Sakura piped up, smiling kindly at her.

"Thanks. I'd really appreciate it. Lu, it's your turn."

A slight blush tinted Lucas' cheeks. "I'm really bad at writing kanji. I can read it just fine but when I try to write it I always mix up the characters and end up looking stupid."

"Aaaw. So cute," Ino fawned.

"Huh?"

"I-I mean you being terrible at writing kanji is absolutely adorable. Hinata! You next!" Ino rushed her statement then filled her mouth with some korokke.

Hinata jumped slightly and when she recovered, she began playing with her fingers. "I like to cosplay sometimes. I force Neji-nii san to cross dress a lot too."

Someone coughed. 'Didn't see that coming,' someone muttered.

Neji suddenly became very red. "M-my confession is that I actually enjoy cross dressing…"

Naruto burst out laughing. "Who would have known that Mr. Stoic here would have liked something like that!? You have to put on a show for us sometime Nejiko-chan."

Neji ground his teeth and the veins in his forehead bulged. Naruto had to duck beneath the table to dodge the salt and pepper shakers that had been chucked at him.

Hinata gasped as Neji scoffed and sipped his water to soothe his nerves.

The wisecrack that coughed before wisely kept his mouth shut.

"I-Ino, it's your turn."

"My nicknames are Porcius and Buta." She blurted the names out before she could stop herself.

Sakura burst out laughing. "Heehee! So I'm really not the only one who sees the real beast that you are? Oh Ino Pig, this is precious." She doubled over, laughing really hard.

"What's so funny Sakura?" She glared at the cackling girl, cracking her knuckles menacingly.

With a shaky hand, Sakura held up a silver voice recorder. Ino, Hinata and Neji's faces got redder than red.

"S-Sakura-chwan…You really didn't record that did you?" Ino wrung her hands together and laced her voice with honey.

Sakura completely ignored her. "Hinata and Neji, you don't have to worry. I only got Porcius' part. Shikamaru, let's get started."

Ino puffed out her cheeks but kept quiet and leaned back in her seat.

"This'll be a drag, but I guess I have no choice. Sleeping is my hobby."

"Tell us something we don't already know." Runo shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Alright. I'm the president of the chess club back at school."

"Oooh! You're actually good for something," Billy mumbled.

"Hey! That means you're pretty smart. That's so cool! And if you're president then that means that you're an awesome player."

Shikamaru scratched his head and stuttered, "Th-thanks for the compliment Dan. S-Sakura! L-lets hurry and finish this."

Sakura clanked her spoon against her empty plate. "Aaah…I feel kind of ashamed of what I did to Ino, but this is just for my conscience." She avoided everyone's gaze and stared hard at the plate. "I'm an impulsive buyer."

"That's not a surprise. You reminded me of Jules the first time I met you." Billy gave her a knowing stare.

"Hey! Let's go shopping sometime." Julie gave Sakura her brightest smile. Sensing the impending danger to his wallet, Billy quickly urged Sasuke to end the game.

"Mmm?" The boy opened his eyes. He had closed them when he had finished eating three fourths of his meal and settled to listening to his housemates' conversations. He felt rather peaceful and he was glad that he came.

Watching them goof around reminded him of how innocent and carefree he used to be years ago. He was happy for them. Happy that they could continue living their normal lives. Not only that, but also he was happy to be around them. They made him feel warm and fuzzy inside, something that he wasn't used to. It felt good to get rid of the cold melancholy in him sometimes.

The whole table was silent. Sakura's eyes softened when she glanced at him. He was looking out the window and had a small smile on his face.

"When I first came to our Home we were all pretty young and since I was the last one of us to come, everyone had already made friends. I used to keep to myself and watch them from a little corner. Sometimes Shari would give me dark chocolate and I would crawl under the dining table to eat it. When everyone was playing outside, I'd watch from the balcony. If they were watching TV in the den, I would stay on the stairs. The only time we would come into close contact is when Shari would force me around the dining table to eat."

Everyone stared at him attentively, waiting for him to continue. It was very rare for any of them to see Sasuke talk so much, and it was just as pleasant as they imagined it would be.

He turned away from the window and thrummed his fingers on the table.

"Then one day, for some reason I don't know, Neji dragged me out from under the dining table. I pushed the rest of the chocolate into my mouth and tried to run away cuz' I was really scared…

* * *

><p><em>Neji held the squirming Sasuke tight in his grasp. Finally, Sasuke settled down and looked at the floor.<em>

"_What's your name?" Neji's stare seemed to pierce through his head._

"_S-Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha."_

"_Sasuke. Be my wife."_

"_Wh-what?!" Sasuke's head snapped up. He looked at Neji incredulously, face blazing. "I-I can't! That's not how things work."_

"_Shhh. I get that you feel really happy and honoured, but please, save the humility. You will be my wife Sasuke Uchiha." Neji dragged him into the den. Clearing his throat he stood on one of the sofas and pulled Sasuke up with him. "Everyone. This is Sasuke Uchiha, my wife."_

"_Eh?!" Naruto glared daggers at Neji._

"_No fair Nejiko! I already called dibs on him! He's mine!" He pounced upon Neji and the two of them fell to the ground, pounding each other silly for Sasuke._

_Ino crept up and pulled Sasuke off the sofa and into a corner. "Are you okay?"_

_Still a bit stunned, he nodded a bit._

"_You know that's not how things work right? You can't be a wife." Ino put her hands on her undeveloped hips._

"_I-I know. I tried to tell him, but…"_

"_It's fine. Your name's Sasuke, right? I'm Ino. I was wondering how long it'd take you to talk to us." She puffed out her cheeks and Sasuke's eyes widened. He blushed a bit and giggled._

"_Oi Ino! You trying to steal my wife?!" Naruto bellowed as he charged across the room._

"_Your wife?! I already called dibs on him Naruto! Hands off!" _

* * *

><p>Naruto and Neji were red up to the tips of their ears.<p>

"Dipstick… You were supposed to tell them something that would embarrass you, not us," Naruto mumbled.

Neji was speechless. All the others tried desperately to hold in their laughter, but Dan's inability to hold it in any longer triggered a chain reaction.

Sasuke smiled and signalled Higuchi over to the table. They paid the bill and rose from their seats. "Joseph-kun, here's the take-out." Higuchi handed the packaged meals to Joseph who thanked him then followed the others out the door.

"Joe, who're those for?" Alice asked once they were out into the open.

"Hatake-san texted me that Shari-san had left to go shopping earlier and he and Sai needed a bite to eat. He's a terrible cook and afraid of lighting the stove."

"Dumb Kakashi. If Shari-san's gone though then that means we can party!" Naruto pumped a fist into the air.

"Yeah. Maybe Uchiha-chan can put on a performance with her lovers Naruto-san and Neji-sama…"

The words were barely out of his mouth before Dan found himself face down on the pavement, two pocket knives pinning the shoulders of his clothes down and a footprint on his back."

"Help me~" he whimpered.

* * *

><p>Sasuke carried the two other meals into Kakashi's study. Sai had taken his already. He was beginning to feel worried. Sai was called from school by ANBU today, but he wasn't. ANBU never brought only one of them in. It was either Sasuke and Sai or neither of them. Something was up.<p>

"Hello Sasuke. There's something – someone rather, that you need to see." Kakashi sighed deeply and eagerly snatched one package of food from the spot on the table where Sasuke had left it.

He closed the door behind him and took a seat. Kakashi saw when he raised his brow in question and paused in ripping the top of the package off to turn to the door behind him and tell someone to come in.

Sasuke craned his neck to see who would emerge. His heart almost stopped when he saw who it was.

_It can't be him…What is he doing here of all places? Wait… Don't tell me…_

"Itoko?" A short eleven year old boy stood in the doorway, a plush dolphin in his arms. He was like an exact replica of Sasuke when he was eleven. Kakashi covered his meal and pushed it to the side, observing the teen's reaction keenly.

"Itoko, it's really you!"

Sasuke had to try his hardest to keep his dinner in his stomach where it should be. His palms had gotten sweaty and his mind was going all foggy. Mitsuki. His eyes and hair were just as dark as his. His skin was healthy but dirty. His clothes were dirty too and his hair dishevelled.

"M-Mitsuki?"

"Sasu-chan!" The boy barrelled into Sasuke's arms. His stomach did a flip at the remembrance of his nickname.

He felt scared. He prayed that his little cousin wouldn't notice the goose bumps on his arms. He looked at Kakashi for help.

With a nod, the older man rose from his seat and scooped Mitsuki into his arms. "It's not healthy to get over excited on an empty stomach. Eat something first. Sasuke will go upstairs and get your bath and some clothes ready for you. Mitsuki looked from Sasuke who nodded him on to Kakashi who was seating him around his desk.

He nodded then began to rip into his meal as ravenously as Kakashi had done before (when he temporarily forgot himself of course).

Sasuke hurried outside. His hands shook violently. He must have looked terrible because everyone in the vicinity stared at him with worried eyes.

Ignoring them, he dashed upstairs, a hand pressed to his mouth. He needed to get to a toilet. Fast. He had barely gotten into his bathroom and leaned over the seat before everything came up and out. He let his head dangle over it and didn't bother to try to keep anything down.

_If Mitsuki is here then…If he's here then…No…They couldn't have…Nobody knew that Oji had it._

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Determined not to drag anyone into his troubles, he flushed and cleaned up. Biting down hard on his tongue, he pushed himself to remain standing and slip on his façade.

He opened the door and stepped out. Sakura stood inside, holding a bottle of smelling salts. She handed it to him, which he gratefully took. Turning her back on him, she smiled down at the floor and said, "I'm always here, so when you're ready to vent, you know where to find me."

"Thanks."

Sasuke took a final sniff of the substance then began to get clothes and a warm bath ready for himself and his cousin.

After twenty minutes or so, Sasuke went down to meet Mitsuki again. This time he was prepared and on guard. As soon as he opened the door, the boy flew into his arms. They both waved goodnight to Kakashi who was so eager to pick up 'Icha-Icha Paradise' that he didn't see.

Sasuke lifted him onto his shoulders. "Ah Mitsuki, you've grown!"

"You look a little different Sasu-chan. Your face hasn't really changed from five years ago."

Ino and swooned and cooned under the table when they saw Sasuke carrying the cute little boy and even Sakura blushed when she heard his nickname.

They chatted idly all the way to the bath. Sasuke turned on the soundproof and firmly locked the doors. He helped Mitsuki into it and got in himself.

Mitsuki spun around and let Sasuke wash his back, waiting for the questions.

"What happened? Are Oji and Oba okay. What about Mikoto?"

Mitsuki squeezed his eyes shut and forced out. "They're all dead Sasuke. All of them. I saw it. Some strange men came to our house and just killed them all, but they didn't know I was there. Mikoto helped Chichi hide me. Chichi told me to come here."

"You had to find the way all on your own?"

"Yes."

"How did your eyes feel?"

"They felt funny. They hurt from the crying, but I felt something more intense. Like a st…A stabbing pain."

Sasuke clenched his jaw.

"Sasuke…We're safe here right? They won't come after me? I don't want to watch anyone else die…I don't want them to take you away too."

Sasuke kissed the top of his head and patted his hair. "Don't worry. You're safe. None of us will let anything happen to you."

* * *

><p><strong>I apologize for any errors you may have come across in this.<strong>

**Thought:**

**'When I was writing this, I took a second to watch a moth that got caught in a spider web. The moth beat its wings hard and even though the spider tried to subdue it with its sticky web, it never lost heart. Despite the strong fibres of that web almost squeezing its wings closed, the moth kept right on beating and it never stopped till it broke free. We all have our own troubles to face but how we tackle them is completely in our control. Make your choice. Do you want to be the web that gives out or the moth that succeeds through hard work?"**

** - Me**

**That was my first original thought. I came up with it on the spot. I hope you enjoyed both it and the story though. Once more, reviews and PMs are always welcome! **

** ~ Anne Callendar**


	9. Yamakiko Plague

**FIRST A CRACK, NOW A CREVICE**

**YAMAKIKO PLAGUE**

* * *

><p>Sasuke gave Mitsuki one last glance before he headed downstairs to Kakashi's office. Mitsuki's entire family had been killed, but for what? Questions buzzed around in Sasuke's mind. He tried to fool himself but he couldn't. He knew the answers to those questions, and they were by no means the answers that he would have liked to hear.<p>

When he entered Kakashi's office he slumped down in the second sliding chair before his desk.

"Is the boy okay?" Kakashi stared hard at Sasuke.

He slid a hand down his face and glared at the desk. "He doesn't seem to have any physical injuries."

"So they didn't find him then."

"I wouldn't say that. There is no way that such skilled assassins wouldn't know where to find one kid. They scoped out the house for weeks before they launched their assault so of course they'd be able to predict where my oji would hide him."

"So why didn't they just kill him too?" Kakashi scratched his head.

"Because they knew that he would lead them to me."

"Wait Sasuke. Before we go there, who's this '_they_' and why are they targeting your family. You didn't tell me any of that when you came. I think it's about time you came clean." He narrowed his eyes.

Sasuke sighed and leaned back in his seat.

"My whole family was slaughtered five years ago. I only got the faces of the persons who did it. After they left, I searched the whole house with my newly activated Sharingan for clues, for something, anything at all. I needed answers and I found them. I came across this book that was well hidden in our wine cellar. From that book, I learned that for generations there was this research clan that hunted Uchihas. They executed families before Uchiha children in the hopes that their Sharingan would be activated. Then they would let the child develop for a couple of years before they kill them and gouge their eyes out. They wanted to find a way to develop the ultimate killing machine and they needed Uchihas' eyes to do it. There was no way that we would willingly become test subjects for some ridiculous project like that, so they've found a way of growing and harvesting the essential part of their experiment. We can't even defend ourselves properly because of the tension between the _special _ones and the normal public."

Kakashi looked at Sasuke in disbelief. "You're joking, right?"

Sasuke just stared at him. Kakashi should know better. Sasuke Uchiha did not joke.

The man shook his head and regained his composure. "I'm sorry, but this just seems all surreal to me. It's like a sci-fi movie."

"I've been doing research on that clan for years just to convince myself that my information is correct. I myself find it hard to believe, but all the evidence points in that direction. The name is Yamakiko by the way. The symbol is a white koi fish."

"Wait? Yamakiko? I know them. A tall people with white blonde hair and azure eyes. I heard that they have some shares in some weaponry manufacturing corporation in Tokyo."

Sasuke nodded. Suddenly, his tale didn't seem so ridiculous after all.

"So why are they coming after you? Is it your harvest time?"

Sasuke nodded. "My harvest time has long since passed. Maybe they've found some way to obtain intel on my job and skills. It's pretty easy to find people who are willing to get themselves captured by ANBU then relay intelligence in exchange for money. They'll be looking for me and when they find me, they'll kill me. When you don't know how far someone has advanced you can't take any chances."

"What about Mitsuki?"

"If he doesn't have the Sharingan, they will ensure that he's kept alive to continue the clan. If he does have it, then they'll kill him and use my DNA to artificially create Uchihas."

Kakashi gulped. "So…How are Mitsuki's eyes?"

"He said they hurt a lot. He's awakened Sharingan but he doesn't know it yet. No doubt it comes out involuntarily when he's under high stress." Sasuke clenched his fists and tightened his jaw.

Observing his body language, Kakashi knew that he was planning to do something that he wasn't pleased with. "What do you plan to do?"

"I'm going to force it tomorrow. Force it to come out. He can't hide something that he doesn't know is there."

"So you'll help him gain full control so that when they do come, he'll be able to hide it well enough so that his life is spared."

"Yes. That's what oji did for years but he probably slipped up once. That's why they killed him too."

Kakashi sighed. "Have you mourned yet? For your aunt, uncle and cousin, I mean." He eyed the teen carefully.

Sasuke stiffened then relaxed. His eyes softened a bit and he looked at the floor.

"Have you even recovered from your immediate family's death?"

Sasuke rose from the seat and turned his back. "No…I guess I'll go indulge myself in some dark chocolate. Oyasumi, Kakashi."

"I think you should sleep with him tonight. He might not say it, but he needs your comfort. Oyasumi, Sasuke."

Without another word, he stepped out of the office. By this time, his housemates had all retired for the night. Shari wasn't back yet. She had sent word to Kakashi that something came up and she wouldn't be home till the next evening. Without anyone around to tell him how unhealthy his eating habits were, he trotted to the refrigerator to get a chocolate bar, even though it might make him vomit a second time.

He took a seat in the den and watched the moonlight filter in through one of the windows. A full moon. He hated full moons. He hated how white and pure they were. He hated how awfully white they were. They reminded him of the Yamakiko clan and their disgustingly white hair. They reminded him of the Yamakiko and their white koi fish which was ironic really because they totally went against the symbolism of the koi fish. They reminded him of the night his family was stolen from him, and he hated it. He despised the feeling of helplessness that he had that night. He despised the ones that made him feel inferior. Feel insignificant. They would pay. One day they would pay. He would torture them and revel in their screams and pleads for mercy, but he wouldn't stop. No. He wouldn't stop until his thirst for revenge was quenched. Till none of the Yamakiko were bold enough to lay a hand on the Uchiha, on Mitsuki, ever again.

* * *

><p><em>Sasuke ran into his brother's arms. "'Tachi-kun!"<em>

_Itachi grinned and ruffled his little brother's hair. "Good job on graduating from the academy Sasuke."_

_Sasuke smiled at his brother and said thanks. "Okaasan and Otousan are in the kitchen. I'll be in the garden if you need me."_

_Sasuke nodded and watched Itachi leave out the front door and enter the courtyard beyond. He shrugged then went into the kitchen and greeted his parents. His father sat around the table as usual, sipping his Jasmine tea and reading a newspaper. Onigiri and sushi were laid out on the it. "Hello Okaasan, Otousan."_

"_Hi sweetie." Mrs. Uchiha stooped down and kissed him on the forehead. Mr. Uchiha folded the newspaper and raised a hand in greeting. _

_Sasuke sat down on his mat and put some food on his plate. "Itadakimasu!" _

_His father watched him as he ate. "So today was the last day at the academy, right?"_

_Sasuke didn't pause, but nodded._

"_Itachi, your mother and I have been thinking and we've decided to treat you. Do you have anything that you'd like?"_

_Sasuke paused this time. His dark eyes shone as he contemplated what he wanted. _

"_Let's have our own festival!"_

"_Our own festival? But it's just the four of us and the three hired workers."_

"_It doesn't have to be anything big. 'Tachi-kun has never been to a festival before and Otousan hasn't gone in a long time. Even though I've only been once, I'm sure that 'Tachi-kun would love it."_

_Sasuke's parents smiled. They had such loving children who always looked out for each other. Even now when their son could get anything he wanted as a congratulatory gift, he chose something that would bring happiness not just to himself, but to the whole family._

"_We can work for everything to get done by this Friday. You and Itachi just relax. Your Okaasan and our hired help will get everything done in time. Now hurry up and finish eating so you can wash up and help your brother in the garden."_

"_Thank you 'Tousan, Okaasan." He didn't see his father's eyes twitch or his mother give a wary glance out the kitchen window._

_The days crept by until Friday finally arrived. There was much bustling about as the courtyard was transformed into a mini-festival grounds. When night fell and they began lighting the lamps, Itachi dragged Sasuke up to his room so they could get dressed. He was already in his plain dark blue kimono. His long hair was combed down and swayed whenever he moved. He sat Sasuke down on his bed and brushed his hair. _

"'_Tachi-kun, stop! It hurts!" Sasuke tried to push the brush away from his hair, however Itachi slapped him with it on his wrist._

"_Stop! If you would only brush your hair a little more often it wouldn't be so shaggy." Sasuke pouted and let his brother help him into his kimono afterwards. His was grey with red thread embroidered into the sleeves and hem._

_Sasuke couldn't help fidgeting when Itachi was making his final touches. "You're such a perfectionist."_

_Itachi paused from adjusting the folds of Sasuke's kimono for the millionth time. "I am not. I-I just like to see things done right." He forced a cough to hide his embarrassment then pulled Sasuke down the stairs and into the courtyard._

_Their eyes widened when they saw how festival-ish the courtyard had become. It was festive, but still had the elegant flair that Uchihas maintained so well._

_Lined along the cobblestone walkway were small booths with helpings of festival foods, some with activities like goldfish scooping and target shooting. There was a platform in front of the entrance to the courtyard, and a large canvass was attached to the base of it. On the canvass was a beautiful painting of the countryside with a turbulent river tumbling down a precipice._

_The plants were decorated with lanterns and tinsel and folk songs were playing softly from a laptop._

_Sasuke dragged Itachi to each and every one of the booths and enjoyed a play that was put on by the adults. They danced and sang until it got late and Mrs. Uchiha announced that it was bedtime. Sasuke didn't notice how tense everyone had suddenly become. He didn't notice how his mother anxiously ushered the hired workers out a side door. He didn't notice the slight rustling in the bushes around his house. _

_Sasuke and his family sat on the doorstep and watched the full moon. "It's beautiful…" he muttered._

_Mrs. Uchiha motioned to the canvass that was blocking the gate and her husband nodded. He sucked in a deep breath and took Sasuke into his arms. He hugged him tightly and ruffled his hair. His mother eagerly grabbed him and smothered him and planted a lingering kiss on his forehead. _

"_Good night Sasuke. We love you," they said in unison. _

_Their son smiled innocently and waved to them. "I love you too, Okaasan, Otousan. Thanks for everything. Oyasumi!" _

_Itachi took him by the hand and led him up to his room._

_He changed him into his night clothes in silence, and then tucked him in. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed and he sat up in bed. "'Tachi-kun? Are you okay?"_

_Itachi smiled sadly and replied, "Mmm. I'm just tired is all." He sat beside Sasuke and hugged him. He kissed his precious little brother on the cheeks and forehead then pressed his head to his. _

"_Oi Sasuke."_

"_Yeah 'Tachi-kun?"_

"_I love you, okay?"_

"_I love you too, Itachi."_

"_Please do me a favour. Tonight's your special night. Otousan, Okaasan and I are planning a special surprise for you, so you can't come downstairs no matter what."_

"_Ugh! Itachi! You spoiled the surprise! Now I'm expecting something." Sasuke folded his arms and pouted._

"_Sasuke."_

_The boy looked into his brother's eyes. They were glossy, but he assumed it was from fatigue._

"_No matter what you hear, don't come downstairs. Please."_

"_I-I'll try."_

"_Good." He smiled then gave Sasuke one last kiss on the cheek and poked him one the forehead with two fingers._

"_Ooow 'Tachi-kun!"_

"_Oyasumi, Sasuke."_

"_Oyasumi Itachi."_

_Itachi turned his back and walked out of the room, leaving his little brother behind for the last time. His time was up. Their time was up. A single tear fell onto the floor behind him and he joined his parents downstairs, staring at a man with a jar in his hands and a black kimono with a white koi fish on it._

_He unsheathed a long katana and walked towards the three. "Already accepted your fate, I see. You won't fight back like the others and cause public unrest? Trying to protect the rest of the clan from them? Trying to protect your son from this? You can hide him from the public, but you can't hide him from this. You think by going down without a fight, no one will discover that you're special, so that he can live as normal a life as possible after losing his family. Naïve."_

_A man stepped out of Sasuke's room upstairs and brought him out over his shoulder._

_The talkative one downstairs approached Mrs. Uchiha and ran her through the middle with the katana. The one with Sasuke had by this time disembarked the staircase and forced him to the ground and held his head up by the hair. The katana wielder stabbed and slashed and dismembered Sasuke's parents right before his eyes._

_The little boy was tense with fear. He screamed his parents' names. He begged the murderer to stop. He cried out and shrieked but help never came. He shrieked, but he couldn't stop watching. He couldn't tear his eyes away. _

_The murderer shot him a sick grin then he turned around with a devilish smile to Itachi. Sasuke whimpered his name and squirmed around, but his captor held him firm. Mr. Killer stooped down to Itachi's level and gouged his eyes out while he was still alive. Breathing. Feeling. The boy writhed and wailed from the pain. Sasuke couldn't scream anymore. Pain was shooting through his own eyes and tears streamed down his face. He still couldn't tear his eyes away. Now he knew why his brother wanted him to remain upstairs. So he wouldn't have to see this. When Mr. Killer was done depositing Itachi's eyes into the jar, he stabbed him right through the heart. Sasuke gasped and shuddered._

_Mr. Killer turned to him and looked into his eyes. Seemingly satisfied with whatever he saw in them, he grinned in satisfaction. He nodded to the burly man who was holding Sasuke down and the two ambled down the courtyard like nothing even happened. _

_Sasuke crept over to his parents (or what used to be his parents). He shook his head in disbelief. He moved over to his dear 'Tachi-kun and hugged his dead body. His face was covered by his hair (thankfully). Sasuke screamed into his kimono. The first one that he'd ever worn._

_The next morning, Sasuke threw up nonstop. His eyes burned and pounded and a stabbing pain travelled through them. Somehow, though, his vision was much better than before. He didn't dare look into a mirror. He remembered seeing the name of an orphanage on the fridge some time before. Sure enough when he went back to the spot, the name and address were still there. He walked through the empty halls of his house looking for something, anything that would explain his tragedy and when he found it, he felt weaker than before. He had hidden in the wine cellar the day when his neighbours came to bury his family. Funny. They came when nobody called to clean up the damage but they didn't come when he had been screaming for help. Very funny._

_The pain in his eyes continued to increase so he ended up looking into a mirror one day. He wasn't surprised to see that they were blood red with two dark commas already in them. He had learnt everything he needed to know about his family in that Book of Answers. The very day he found it, he decided to leave for that orphanage. He packed a change of clothes, water and bread (in case he regained his appetite), the emergency money that all three of his family members kept in addition to his own, a family photo and Itachi's blanket. He always used to snuggle with it on cold nights. It was the only thing childlike that Sasuke saw him do._

_He put a cap over his head and set out. It turned out that the only thing he ended up using on his journey was the blanket. He couldn't care less about who gasped when they saw his blood stained kimono. All those hypocrites could go burn for all he cared. He wasn't even bothered when he noticed that his vision was fading. By the time he settled in at the orphanage his eyes had lost all feeling and he was completely blind. They had reverted to a version of their original colour – they weren't beautiful obsidian like before. Now they were a deep gray._

_Shari's heart nearly gave out when she saw the frail child at the door. His kimono was dirty and heavily stained with blood. He looked thin and his eyes were empty. A shiver ran down her spine. She tried to figure out his age but it was difficult. His body was small but his face had a disturbing maturity to it. Another shiver travelled up and down her spine. The way he was staring at her was nerve wracking. It was as if he were looking through her._

_Slowly, Sasuke raised an arm and touched her stomach. "Is this the orphanage I've been looking for? Hatake Boarding House?"_

"_Y-yes. Come on inside." She tried hard to bite back the stutter._

"_I can barely see you Miss."_

"_S-sorry." Shari took hold of his hand and led him inside._

_As he walked through the halls his ears were assaulted by screams and children's laughter. All he could see was a hazy blur of pink, yellow and black around a table. Shari stooped down in front of him and said, "The Master isn't here right now, so you'll be under my care. How much can you see?"_

_Sasuke held his hand before his eyes. All he could see now was black. "I can't see anything at all."_

_Shari gasped. Not only was she still in shock that someone turned up at this not very well-known orphanage in such a bad condition, but she was really creeped out that this kid wasn't freaking out because he completely lost his sight._

_She cleaned him and he was registered when Kakashi came. They put him into a room upstairs where he was by himself. He wrapped his body head to toe in Itachi's blanket and squeezed his knees to his chest. Rocking back and forth, he pressed his brother's blanket to his nose and inhaled his scent. He was scared. He was in a brand new place with new people and he couldn't see any of their faces. All he had to keep him company was the memories of his family. Their execution haunted him. The images plagued his mind. He tried to get them out, but they wouldn't go away. _

_He remembered how he used to love staring into his brother's eyes, but now they were in some jar that Mr. Killer had taken with him. The torture replayed before his eyes again and again and the tears came. He shrieked. He held his head and wailed and screamed for his 'Tachi-kun. Screamed for his Otousan. Screamed for his Okaasan. All he could remember doing was screaming and after the screaming about six pairs of hands calmed him down and caressed him._

* * *

><p>Sasuke crumpled his empty chocolate wrapper and trashed it on his way up to his room. When he stepped inside he saw Mitsuki curled up on his bed, desperately clutching a portrait of himself with Sasuke, Mikoto, Itachi and the Uchiha adults. His cheeks were flushed and tearstained and he was whimpering in his sleep.<p>

Sasuke slipped in beside him and pulled him into a hug, his nose buried in his hair. He kissed his head and whispered, "Don't worry Mikoto. You're not alone here. You don't have to suffer by yourself."

Mitsuki shifted in Sasuke's arms and stared into his face. "Sasu-chan." He buried his face into his older cousin's chest and both eventually fell asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>"Happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like and celebrating it for everything that it is"<strong>

** - Mandy Hale**

**Good reading folks.**

**~Anne Callendar**


	10. Slaughter

**FIRST A CRACK, NOW A CREVICE**

**Wow...It's been over six months since my last update. I should feel ashamed of myself...Well, at least on the bright side, I have renewed conviction to complete this for the sake of my silent readers. **

* * *

><p>CHAPTER 10<p>

SLAUGHTER

* * *

><p>Mitsuki let out a big yawn and stretched. Opening his eyes, he tried to figure out where he was. He peered at Sasuke and a huge smile creased the bottom half of his face.<p>

"Aniki! Mikoto!"

Sasuke blinked in confusion for a few seconds before the boy's misunderstanding dawned on him. When it did, though, he had the young one securely in his arms in a split second.

"Huh? A-Aniki…"

Slowly, Mitsuki pulled away and rubbed his eyes. His little heart dropped to his stomach when he saw that Mikoto was really Sasuke.

"S-Sasu-chan. Where is Mikoto? Where did Aniki go?"

His voice cracked. He already knew the answer.

Sasuke didn't know what to say. How could one comfort a child after his entire immediate family had been slaughtered like beasts? What could one really say to assuage his fears? His loneliness?

The best option that he could see right then was society with the others who were doubtlessly more cheerful and more experienced in the field of communication than he.

"Mitsuki," Sasuke said, pushing him away a bit and drying his eyes. "How would you like to meet the others?"

"Others?" the boy asked, crinkling his brow.

"The people you saw last night. They don't bite, I promise," he teased.

Mitsuki managed a small smile before he crawled off the bed. Sasuke nodded over to the bathroom, assuring him that he'd have some clothes out for him before he got out.

When left alone in his room, Sasuke let out a deep sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. Things were getting more complicated. The Yamakiko were on his tail and he was in no position to fight them. He definitely couldn't do that. It would endanger his friends and his little cousin. He couldn't care less about what complications would arise for ANBU if word got out that one of its _special _agents was unlawfully assaulting 'harmless' citizens, but, knowing how cold and revengeful the organization was, it would be unbearable for him to think of Sai, the only associate he really cared about there, suffering for it.

He was stuck for now, and he needed to figure out a plan. The first thing was to strengthen Mitsuki. After Kakashi informed the other tenants of the boarding house about what was happening, he would get every _special_ person to assist.

When the Yamakiko came…when they came… he just wasn't sure about that. To make matters worse, if they chose to strike at the home, (which would be the smartest route) Kakashi would get peppered by the very powerful and influential figures to which the foreigners were so closely attached.

Maybe he would have to move before they did…

* * *

><p>Mitsuki stepped slowly and hesitantly into the dining hall. His cousin's stomach clenched when he remembered how bubbly and bold the child used to be.<p>

"O-Ohayo," he stuttered, claiming a seat beside Sasuke.

Julie and Ino nearly jumped over the table in excitement. Tears came into Julie's eyes as she reached out longingly while Billy restrained her. Ino had rest her head on her hands and stared at the startled boy, a little drool escaping the corner of her mouth. She wasn't even aware that Shikamaru had emptied his glass of water on her in an attempt to cool her hormones.

"Aaaw! Sasuke, why didn't you tell us you had a brother. He's so adorable! I hope he doesn't grow out of his charm and end up like you," Shari swooned, clasping her hands tightly around a searing cup of tea.

His eye twitched and he was about to let a nasty retort slap them all back into consciousness when Mitsuki just had to say: "A-ano, Sasu-chan is not my brother. He's my itoko."

Those two sentences instantly bought Sakura, Alice, Hinata and even Runo. Joseph face-palmed. Lucas smiled at how adorable the boy's oblivious innocence was.

"His name is Mitsuki," Sasuke said, sipping some tea, ensuring to steer clear of solid food.

Smiles and giggles were eventually brought to Mitsuki's lips as he received numerous introductions and watched the older people carry on with all forms of antics.

After the meal, as Sasuke was retreating upstairs with Mitsuki, Kakashi stepped into the dining room, face solemn. Bags ornamented his open eye and his silver hair lacked its customary sheen.

He nodded wearily at the two as they passed and he asked the others that were leaving also to stay for an important announcement.

"What is Kakashi-san doing?" Sasuke's young charge asked him as he made his way to the training room.

"Just announcing your arrival."

"Where are we going then?"

"To train."

Mitsuki's face fell. Sasuke didn't realize until he turned around to close the door. "Hey," he said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. He tilted the boy's head up so that he could look him squarely in the face. "I know you'd rather to be doing something that would lift your spirits, but this has to be done. Suki, the reality is that we don't know when the Yamakiko are coming. You know some of the family history, so you should know that they're always after you. In any case…I won't always be around to protect you, so you need to learn how to help yourself."

He was slightly surprised when the boy straightened his shoulders and nodded. He was recognizing the full gravity of their situation. His situation.

Sasuke gave him a little smile before exiting into the weaponry closet.

"I won't be going easy on you, so come at me with everything you've got." He furnished the boy with weapons before turning to him with his own. To add a bit of variety into the mix, he had included the same 'throwables' which he had supplied him with. "Get ready," he ordered, taking up position.

The boy lowered his body and stiffened, focusing on his opponent, just as his father had taught him to do. A dull pang hit Sasuke in his chest and he almost regretted what he was about to do.

Standing on the other side of the room, he drew himself up to full height and unsheathed his katana slowly, all the while eyeing Mitsuki with mixed arrogance and mockery. "Do I remind you of anything…anyone particular?" he asked, assuming an unmistakable attack stance.

Mitsuki's jaw dropped in horror and confusion. "The Y-Yamakiko. That's exactly how the killers prepared to strike. Sasuke, what are you doing?!" The kunai which he held fell to the matted floor and he began to shake in terror at the memory.

"Aniki, Ojisan, Chichi…No," he sank to the floor, hands pressed to his head.

"Get up and fight," Sasuke demanded. "Picture their death. Recall their cries, their agonized screams." He could have easily conjured up a very realistic illusion with his eyes, but he refused to do so. That would be too risky. Far too risky.

"I don't want to remember," the boy whimpered.

"Oh, but you must. And you will. Can't you feel it? The regret? If only you were a bit stronger, you might have been able to help. Can't you picture the Yamakiko? Grinning over your parent's corpses. Can't you remember how they stole your father's and brother's eyes?"

Tears came fast, but the memories came even faster. Mitsuki grit his teeth.

"Channel your regret, feelings of uselessness, hatred, channel all that into energy." Luckily for Sasuke, there was no need to push his little cousin with an illusion and ending up losing himself or scarring the young lad for life.

Mitsuki's fist gripped the kunai once more and he staggered to his feet, hot, angry tears dripping down his chin. He charged at Sasuke, uttering an agonized shout. Furiously, he swiped at the teen. Sasuke easily dodged and blocked his attacks. Sensing that the poor boy was blinded by rage, he decided to push him over the edge.

"Is that the most you can do, weakling?" Sasuke mocked. "It's a good thing you didn't try to swoop in to help. You would have only disappointed your family before they died. You're a disgrace."

Mitsuki got even more violent and furious. If one of his blows landed, then it would definitely hospitalize Sasuke. A sharp pain shot through his eyes, and suddenly, the kunai fell. He dropped to his knees and crumpled to the floor once more. He shrieked in pain as he covered his eyes which felt like iron pins were slowly being drawn back and forth inside them.

"Sasu-chan, help me," he whimpered.

Sasuke quickly discarded his katana then came to the boy's side. He removed his hands from his eyes.

"Make it stop!" he wailed.

"Hush. If you try to calm down and keep a level head, then the pain will go away. Just focus on getting rid of that fogginess. Don't think of anything happy. Just focus on me, the target."

Mitsuki cracked his eyes open and stared at Sasuke, who held him still. Although shaking from the pain, the boy tried his best to obey his cousin. Sure enough, his eyes bore the Sharingan and sure enough, the pain went away a few minutes after he tried to focus.

Sasuke sighed in relief when the boy informed him of this and his Sharingan was still up.

"Now Mitsuki, you must listen to me very carefully."

The boy nodded.

"Come at me with all you've got. Do not lose focus and don't let yourself be overcome by anger. Try to get accustomed with your abilities."

Albeit somewhat confused, the boy nodded and resumed his stance, giving Sasuke enough time to back away before he sprang. Seeing the attack coming, Sasuke dodged it and let some deliberately off-aim shuriken and kunai fly to allow him enough distance to scoop up his katana. He had only just grasped the weapon when Mitsuki was upon him, kunai ready to stab, but Sasuke deflected both him and the knife with the blunt end of it.

Mitsuki could feel the change in his body. He was fighting for real – at least this was the closest to real that he had ever been. He was unusually fast, and he could see Sasuke's movements. The thing that surprised him the most was that he could dodge and counter them while launching swift attacks of his own. He could even tell that Sasuke was deliberately putting the more lethal attacks off aim.

They sparred until Mitsuki tripped and nearly landed headfirst onto a shuriken that was lodged into the floor. Sasuke quickly darted in and pushed him out of the way. The boy sat on the floor, groaning and rubbing his shoulder.

"That's enough for now." Sasuke cleared up the weapons and put them neatly in a corner. He then took a seat before Mitsuki and smiled at him. "You should be proud of yourself. You did very well."

"Thanks," he panted.

"Did you notice anything different?"

"Yeah. My movements were faster somehow and it was like I could predict your attacks."

Sasuke nodded. "That's your Sharingan." He then pulled out a pocket mirror and held it before the boy's face. Mitsuki gave a start, recoiling violently at his reflection.

"Why do my eyes look so creepy? What's going on, Sasuke?" Panic was slowly creeping up his throat, but when he saw how cool and collected his itoko seemed, he rallied his emotions in an effort to keep them in check.

"Can you guess when that happened?"

"When I started feeling pain…You mean I was fighting with it the whole time? That's why I felt so strange!"

"It's your Sharingan, a special ability that we Uchihas have. That your father and brother had. That is what the Yamakiko are hunting us for."

"That means that we're _different_. That we're _special_. And people want to kill us for it. Do I have to have it? Can't I get rid of it somehow?"

Sasuke shook his head solemnly. He had gone through every historical, medicinal, and herbal book he could lay his hands on, but not one mentioned anything on getting rid of the Sharingan – apart from destroying the eyes of course.

Sasuke told him the whole Yamakiko plot and the consequential plight that they found themselves in.

"It needs a trigger to activate in the early stages, and that's usually anger. That's why I had to be rather unpleasant at the start."

Mitsuki frowned. "Since I can't get rid of it, is it possible to strengthen it? You were much better than me, even though you didn't have your Sharingan activated."

"Of course. Through practice, you'll be able to activate and deactivate it at will, see much quicker moves and even make illusions."

Mitsuki's face brightened. "Really! That sounds so cool! I bet you can do all those stuff and more!"

Although Sasuke smiled, deep down, he didn't want his precious cousin to gain so much power. He didn't want him to sink into darkness.

"Let's forget about me and focus on you. We can spar once more before taking a break if you'd like."

"I'd love to."

And so, they went at it again. Mitsuki progressed quickly – something that both scared Sasuke and made him pleased. As soon as the boy fell to the floor, the door slid open.

It seemed like all the teenagers had planned on vacationing in the training room.

The exhausted boy panted on the ground, watching them as they filed inside.

Sakura carried food over to him.

He smiled in gratitude as his mouth was preoccupied with puffing and huffing. He glanced at his cousin. He didn't even break a sweat and his breathing was normal.

"Lucas, come here. We weren't done with our training."

Mitsuki watched with crossed legs and lunch box in hand as Sasu-chan sparred with Lucas who was trying to manipulate a katana. He noted the boy's progress – rather slow, but he was improving. Suddenly, an idea hit him with full force. He was surrounded by strong people. Why not learn from them? Trying out his new eyes on Sasuke's friends would be exciting. He'd even get to learn some new moves.

Shikamaru eyed him carefully as he gobbled down the remaining food in his lunch box. How could this child transform from gloomy to enthusiastic? What had his dear Sasu-chan done to make him so happy? Groaning, he let his head fall backwards onto the wall. Sleeping solved all problems.

"Shikamaru," a small voice called to him. He opened one eye, not trying to hide his irritation at being disturbed. Mitsuki kneeled before him, obsidian eyes piercing his brown ones.

"Spar with me."

The teen's eyes widened. "What do you mean spar with you? Isn't this just your first day of training?"

Mitsuki nodded. "I want to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can…so spar with me," he said, this time more determined than the first.

"Go spar with him instead."

Mitsuki looked over at Daniel who was deftly picking his nostrils. Runo, who was watching, nearly keeled over with laughter at the sight of the young boy rolling his eyes and returning to Shikamaru the Chosen One.

The Chosen One pouted for a bit. _I can't just crush the kid's hopes. Maybe I'll let him knock me out so I can get back to sleeping faster._ He stood up and moved to the centre of the room, shooing Sasuke and Lucas out of the way.

Sasuke shot him a questioning look but a shrug was all he needed. When he saw Mitsuki take his battle stance before him, he cringed. Regret swelled within him. Not pride. The Sharingan was nothing to be proud of. He had thought like untainted Mitsuki once – before he knew of all its secrets…Before he knew the monsters that it could turn people into. He just had to go draw it out of his little cousin. He just had to go rob him of his innocence. He just had to go secure his doom.

He could only watch wordlessly as he took on foe after foe, not stopping until either he or his opponent was on the ground. It hurt. It made him sick to the core. Mitsuki's genuine excitement over his new abilities stabbed him, but there was nothing he could do about it but pray that the child could keep it under wraps…Pray that someday he wouldn't become like dear Sasu-chan.

* * *

><p>Mitsuki held on tight to his cousin's hand as he was led down the long hallway of a huge school. They separated from the rest of their housemates when they made a left turn. He tried not to panic; not to feel scared, but the place was enormous, and he was so small. Just as small as when those tall people killed his family.<p>

Sasuke sensed his uneasiness and squeezed his hand. Sai, who was with them, flanked his other side, and suddenly he didn't feel so tiny anymore. A large wooden door loomed ahead of them. As they approached, Mitsuki mentally chanted what his cousin had so earnestly pleaded for him to do.

_Keep your Sharingan a secret. _

They were finally at the door. Sai knocked and they stepped inside.

_You don't know anything about it. _

A silver haired woman's eyes widened. She motioned them to sit after giving a short greeting.

_If anyone asks, you don't have it and you've never known anyone with it._

Beside her stood two men. One with red hair and burgundy eyes and one with jet black hair and grey eyes.

_Don't trust anyone but us with this secret._

"Lovely seeing you again Sasuke-kun, Sai-kun. Little Uchiha, I'd love to know your first name."

_No one must ever know._

Instinctively, Mitsuki recoiled. If he was standing, he would have hidden behind Sasuke.

"T-Tongaku," he stuttered, genuinely scared. The man with the scar had a wild look and the grey eyed one was disturbingly calm. The principal herself seemed uneasy with them around. Tension emanated from his two protectors.

"Aaah. Little Tongaku. Are you and Sasuke-kun close?"

"Our relationship is none of your concern. We are here to enrol Tongaku and receive our mission." Sasuke levelled the man with a glare. He knew that the ANBU agents had already drilled the Principal with questions, so it wouldn't make sense to act as if Mitsuki was a regular.

"Sasuke, I'm rather intrigued by this young one. He bears a striking resemblance to you. Maybe you are similar in more ways than just looks…"

"If you are assuming that Tongaku-kun possesses the same gift as I, you are sadly mistaken. Not all Uchihas have been blessed with the Sharingan. Now if you'd be so kind as to allow me to register him and send him on to his classes, so we can attend to more pressing matters…"

The redhead snarled dangerously but motioned Sasuke to the principal's desk. With shaking fingers, Tachibana penned in the information that the boy provided her with and handed a schedule over to him. It was a good thing Kakashi had informed her of his arrival beforehand.

Mitsuki stared at the schedule and wished that his brother was there. He would always help him in tough situations. He looked up at Sasuke who simply nodded at him and gently pushed him away, in the direction of the door and the humongous building.

_He's a smart kid. He'll figure it out._

"Come Tachibana-san. Sign and record so that we can collect the boys and leave. While the intimidated lady penned her signature once more, Sasuke retrieved some uniforms kept for them in a hidden closet and Sai opened the envelope with their mission. As he skimmed over it, his eyebrows rose in surprise and he glanced hesitantly at Sasuke. He wouldn't like this one bit.

The redhead frowned in annoyance. He was very curious to know what had stirred the impassive youth to display some form of emotion. Sadly, he and his associate were not permitted to know the details of any mission they were not assigned to, although they were members of the organization. Such was ANBU's secrecy.

After they were dressed, the boys exited the school quickly by a restricted route and boarded their unit van. "What's the mission?"

Sai hesitated before deciding to give him the envelope anyway. Sasuke sent him a questioning glance. Sai never hesitated.

Slowly, he opened the package and reviewed the sheet. Once. Twice. A third time to ensure that what he was reading was true. And so it was. Right there printed in blank ink. They were to infiltrate a laboratory and do away with 'defective subjects' in the southern section of Kamagasaki. They had to clean up after some disorganized freak show but nothing was said about capturing the instigator. This was the first time they were being sent on a mission like this. Test subjects. They reminded him so much of the Yamakiko. Maybe that's why Sai's behaviour was so strange.

They rattled along in the van, sailing past high-class businesses and luxury homes and zoomed towards high rise ancient clumsy apartment blocks and crowded concrete benches. People walked around aimlessly, hunched forward as if they carried an invisible load on their backs. Several kept what little belongings they had in garbage bags. As they progressed through the district, things became drearier. The population thinned out and the homes became smaller and more deformed. Although the streets were paved, they were still filthy.

Sai sighed when he saw the concrete. Even though it was dirty, he gave thanks that it wasn't mud. Anything was better than mud. Sasuke smiled when he saw the faint trace of relief on his features. His gaze never left the window though. They moved farther and farther on until they were on the outskirts of the city. A large compound stretched out before them. The entrance was barred by a heavy metal gate. The driver poked his head through the window and signalled to the security guard. The gate sluggishly pulled sideways, clearing the path for the van to roll through. All was silent. The guard tipped his hat at the agents and walked out of the compound. Some other guards joined him and they let the gate roll shut.

They were locked inside. The securities shook their heads at the van and tipped their hats once more – either out of respect or a wish of luck.

Sasuke immediately slipped into ANBU mode. He got his weapons ready and attached his earpiece. For this mission, they'd be working in pairs, and needless to say, Sai was his partner.

He scanned the expansive compound. The low building loomed ahead and the concrete driveway was barren. Evidently the whole place was deserted. On lockdown. _Why would an organization like this need to call in ANBU to do its dirty work? Aren't the subjects usually taken out quietly with poison? _

All the workers at the facility had been discreetly evacuated a few days before. The security guards were left to man their posts until ANBU came. Sasuke looked back. The men were nowhere to be found. They had scampered away from the place as if it were haunted. _Poor fellows were frightened sick_. He scoffed mentally.

Sasuke listened keenly as they were briefed by their unit leader. The subjects had been deemed defective a week before and the execution date was set for today. Somehow there was an information leak and the subjects learned of their judgement. They went berserk, killing several facility workers and trying to escape. The whole facility was, however, placed under lockdown.

Sasuke inhaled and exhaled deeply. These people weren't normal. They were genetically enhanced. They were dangerous. He steeled himself. He only had three objectives. Complete the mission. Protect Sai. Get back home to Mitsuki and the others.

After customary warnings were given out, they filed out of the van. Sasuke and Sai fell behind the rest. They were to go to the bottom floor – the place where the most volatile subjects stayed locked in cells and shackles.

Gunshots suddenly broke the silence. Several bullets whizzed through the air. The team before them signalled subtly that it was time to split up. The two ducked behind a tall thick concrete pillar. Chips of it flew off violently as stray bullets struck the sides and explosions rocked the air. Sai quickly painted several vipers onto his sheet and soaked the parchment in poison. In seconds, the black inky creatures rose from the paper and slithered silently along.

He then painted a black rat. When that rose from the page, he stuck a small chip to its head and slipped a pair of glasses on. The rat scuttled off across the hazardous entrance, aiming for a narrow dark staircase that led to the underground chambers. Sasuke waited for Sai to arm himself with senbon before unsheathing his katana. Sai took the lead. They wove through a sea of bullets and picked out humans flitting among the shadows. The frontline agents continued their advance, determined to raze every one of the creatures to the ground. They went by unnoticed. Other agents assigned to the second and third underground floors clamoured down after them. They attracted such great attention that the second wave of rebels came meeting them halfway.

An involuntary smile tilted Sasuke's lips. Chills ran down his spine and his blood raced through his veins. Sai's vipers had already reached the bottom floor. The rat was hiding in a crack, waiting for its master to draw near.

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. He tried to suppress it. He tried his best, but when he saw his foes, he thought against it. Letting _it_ takeover would be best. He would need the deranged beast within him to slaughter all these humans. These innocent people who were experimented upon without their consent. His pupils dilated and he let his Sharingan consume him.

_It feels good to be back, Sasuke-kun. You should try letting me out more often._

Sasuke licked his lips at the anticipated gore. Sai instinctively gave him way. The hairs on the nape of his neck stood on end as he watched his friend brutally hack away at innocent people. The howls of pain and bloodcurdling screams echoed straight up the staircase.

As he hurled senbon, Sai hoped and prayed that Sasuke would remember the plan. He confined his bloodthirsty rampage to the staircase and left all else to the other teams hot on their heels. Finally, they were at the bottom floor.

The stairs ended and they stood empty, corpses littering the steps. The vipers had done their work.

"Sai," Sasuke said.

The pale teen advanced to his friend's side. He inwardly sighed. At least Sasuke wasn't that excited. If he was agitated enough, then _he_ would see _everyone_ as a foe – another animal to butcher.

Sasuke's clothes were soaked with blood. Sai's were spotless. On missions, Sasuke refused to let him get his hands dirty.

An inhumane scream sounded down the corridor. They moved forward slowly, peering into each and every cell. Corpses adorned all of them. Through the suffocating heat and the higher pressure, Sai and Sasuke moved on. Sai, driven by a desire to get back home and get this nightmare over with. Sasuke, driven by intense boredom. His targets before had been too weak and they were moving far too quickly for him to torture them. He longed for something, someone, to brighten up this boring mission. His thirst for gore intensified and his eyes darted with disturbing anticipation from cell to cell.

Eventually, they came to the last two. A huge man gripped the bars of the first one. Sweat coated his bare upper body and he grunted and roared as if in intense pain.

"So they sent you for us. ANBU scum here to do the dirty work. Finish what the koi started."

_Finish what the koi started? Whatever does he mean by that?_

Sai looked on as Sasuke walked to the last cell. He guessed the hefty man was all his. Something more challenging than this giant must have dragged his attention elsewhere.

The giant huffed and hawed and squashed four of Sai's snakes underfoot. The young man felt a jolt of pain ripple through his chest and he nearly doubled over. Clutching the area and gasping for breath, Sai desperately tried to take him down with senbon and some more of his snakes. The poisoned needles stabbed the man, but he kept stomping snakes as though his body wasn't supposed to be going numb after getting caught in vital spots by so many poisoned needles. Pain and exhaustion crept over Sai's small body as his creations were killed. He just barely managed to get the last four out of harm's way.

Sasuke was oblivious to his friend's predicament. His charge was much more intriguing than Sai's life right then. Far too interesting to let go.

The giant then did something that Sai didn't even know that science could make possible. He broke free of his chains and pushed at the metal bars. The things bent so easily and quickly that they seemed they were made of paper. Apparently anger increased Mr. Giant's strength. The man darted out of the cell, surprisingly fast for his enormous size.

Sai didn't have time to react. He was caught by the neck in a hand so large that it encircled the whole joint. His back collided with the concrete wall and he shouted out in pain. He dared not, however shout Sasuke's name. He would kill them both. Sweat dripped from his chin as he tried to avoid the man's stinking breath.

"Look at you. You're so high and mighty that you don't even wear a mask. You should be in school, kid."

Sai's hands were pinned to the wall. He only had one option of escape which might cost him his life.

He felt his limbs go numb as his air supply was cut off. The man raised an almighty fist to his face and prepared for an almighty punch. Sai directed his snakes to make a sort of elevator. He sent his scout rat up it and on the back of the man's neck. The rat sunk its sharp fangs into his flesh and the snakes wrapped themselves around his ankles and wrists and bit with all their inky, toxic might.

The giant howled and fell backwards, crushing the rest of Sai's creations in the process. Sai gasped for air when he was released and nearly fell to the ground from fatigue, but he couldn't waste a second. In one swift motion, he deftly poured an entire phial of poison onto a sharp flat edged half sword he kept with him and plunged it into the man's heart. Mr. Giant convulsed and foamed at the mouth but soon stopped moving.

Relieved, the teen staggered backwards. His vision blurred and he fell against the wall once more. As his strength faded, he sank to the ground and watched his teammate through half lidded eyes.

Sasuke stared at the person before him, completely entranced. A beautiful girl with brown hair looked up at him, eyes ablaze with unidentifiable emotion. It was not her beauty that attracted him though. Instead, it was the pair of red eyes that stared back at him.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope that wasn't too disappointing. I don't want to make any promises about when I'll update again. It wouldn't make any sense to get anyone's hopes up.<strong>

**The weather here is awesome right now. It has been for the past few weeks. Nothing but rain, wind and overcast skies...Aaah. Paradise!**

**"After every storm, there is a rainbow. If you have eyes, you will find it. If you have wisdom, you will create it. If you have love for yourself and others, you won't need it."**  
>― <strong>Shannon L. Alder<strong>

**~Anne Callendar**


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